


A Conspiracy Theory

by fullmetalscully, Pokypup49



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Alternate Universe, Coffee Shops, Conspiracy, Detective AU, F/M, Havolina, Modern AU, Mystery, Pining, Royai - Freeform, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Violence, detective Roy, whipped Roy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:16:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 66,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25071517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fullmetalscully/pseuds/fullmetalscully, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pokypup49/pseuds/Pokypup49
Summary: Detective Roy takes on a challenging task... To find Olivier Armstrong's sword. However, he has a beautiful woman to distract him along the way. Will he, Jean, and Ed be able to find the sword in time, or will they succumb to the conspiracy?
Relationships: Edward Elric & Roy Mustang, Rebecca Catalina/Jean Havoc, Riza Hawkeye & Roy Mustang, Riza Hawkeye/Roy Mustang
Comments: 73
Kudos: 84





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! We do not own Fullmetal Alchemist in any way. We are just merely borrowing the characters for a story idea that we have.  
> Emma and I had this idea one day, wrote it all out over wine and cider. We hope you enjoy!

The cafe had grown to be familiar to him. The lighting was high with an open ceiling, and fans wafted the rich aroma of fresh coffee to the patrons below. He preferred it to the two cafes that were closer to his office. The atmosphere was better here. Although not a big lover of soft jazz, there was something calming and energizing about it. Every week he’d make his way there and pick himself up a coffee of some kind. The soft sounds of the music elevated his mood and energized him for the day.

He pulled at his shirt collar on the hot day, debating whether or not to take the tie off once he arrived at work. The reason why he even wore a tie was a mystery to him. It was his office, he could go in with khakis and a polo if he wanted to. He tugged at his collar again and looked up at the menu. Something cold was definitely in order, he decided, as sweat began to form on his brow. Then he peeked his eyes down the line behind him. 

She was blonde, as all his girls had been. But it was her smile that had first drawn him to her. It wasn’t a bright smile like the morning sun that had poured through his bedroom window that morning. It was a soft glow, more like the rays of the sun through the clouds. It was subtle, sly, and alluring. When he saw it weeks ago, he wanted to see it again and came back the next day to see if she was there. Her blonde hair flowed over her shoulders like water, shining in the sun through the open windows. Her eyes were caramel in the light, walnut in the shade, always scanning the room. Sometimes he wondered if she was looking for someone or somewhere to sit? She never put her hands in her pockets either, a sign of confidence in her stance. Her back straight and her shoulders back, wearing her blouse with dignity. She eyed the pastries behind the glass for only a moment before looking at the cashier. She didn’t once look at the menu. That meant that she knew what she wanted, or that she got the same thing every time. 

As he took his frappuccino, he wandered nearby to get a few napkins. He didn’t need them, but he wanted to hear what she was going to order. Picking up a paper, he took a seat, crossed his legs, and listened. The soft sounds of the jazz wrapped around him as he settled himself into the chair. A soft sigh left him, finally content and comfortable. 

The newspaper had the same old news in it. Some politicians were lobbying for this or that. He saw that there was a big notion about a long-standing debate about some development in the west. It wasn’t anything worth reading. It never was. But looking at the paper gave him an excuse to fill his senses with the space around him. He sipped his cold drink, relishing in the cool feeling it gave him from the warm morning. 

“I’ll have a caramel latte, please.”

Her voice was sweeter than her drink of choice. Her words were as delicate as powdered sugar. He wasn’t surprised in the least that it was soft, gentle flowing, but he heard an edge of authority behind it. She was sure of her choice and actions.

She paid in cash, a relatively old fashioned thing to do in the modern age, and was polite in thanking the barista for the drink. He watched as she took a sip of her drink, looking around again. Her eyes met his and he was sure that they lingered for a moment. She was evaluating him in the same way he had her the whole time. But she only gave him the sliver of a smile and walked out the door. Never had he seen her sit down. 

He wondered what her name was. 

Roy preferred walking over driving, which he was beginning to regret that day. The sweat built on his back between his shoulder blades, soaking through his shirt and trickling down his spine. The light jacket he wore only held the heat against the body. It was going to be the first article of clothing he would shed once he got to the office. He also hoped Jean had already turned the air conditioner on. Roy was beginning to think turning it off at night was a joke. He should refrigerate the place so that when he did get in, it was cold enough for him to see his breath. He grimaced at his mistake. 

Still, despite the stifling heat, it was nice to walk to work. Roy got to enjoy the scenery of the neighborhoods, the artistry district, and the bakery where he could smell the sweet confectionary creations as he walked by. There was a flower shop a few blocks down from him now, where he always stopped to say hello. Roy had bought flowers once there, just to have an excuse to flirt with the owner. It wasn’t anything serious, he knew that, but it was a nice feeling to see her smile at him when he strolled through. Today, he stopped and bought flowers. 

In the office, Roy ran his fingers through his hair, feeling the sweat against his scalp. “It’s fucking hot out there,” he cursed. “What happened to the cool mornings of Central?” 

Rebecca Catalina, his office manager, flicked her curly brown hair over her shoulder to acknowledge Roy’s arrival and nodded. Her dark brown eyes glowed upon seeing him and her smile was wide, showing her bright white teeth. “Don’t worry, I got here in time to turn the air conditioner on.” 

Rebecca was one of the nicest women he had known. Her smile was bright as was her voice, as her boisterous laugh would fill a room. She also gave a generous wink to his partner Jean. There was no reason why his partner didn’t like her. Not only did he like the attention but she brought life to the office which only could exist from her. 

“You’re my saving grace.” Roy set the flowers on her desk by the front door. “I’m sure you can find something to put these in.”

She wasn’t considered a secretary, however, without Rebecca, Roy was sure that his office would be in shambles. She was hired to be an ‘office manager’ and was there just to make sure he and Jean kept things organized. She did the job perfectly.

“In a good mood today, Roy?” Rebecca asked, raising her eyebrows suggestively.

He snickered. “Maybe I just wanted to get you flowers to make you smile, Rebecca.” 

“It was that girl at the coffee shop, wasn’t it?” Her knowing smile spelled bad news for him.

Roy tilted his head. “There’s no girl at the coffee shop.”

Rebecca pointed to his cup. Roy looked at it, squinting only to see his name and its logo. “It’s from Metric Coffee. You only go there on Fridays. Today is Wednesday.” She shrewdly observed.

“I really like their coffee.” Roy took off his jacket and hung it up. 

“And you show up with that sneaky smile, glowing like some boy who has a crush on a pretty girl.” 

Roy raised his eyebrow. “You’ve worked in my office for too long.” 

“No,” Rebecca quickly argued, picking up the flowers and heading into the makeshift kitchen they had down the hall. “It’s just that you’re so obviously in love.” 

He rolled his eyes and walked over to his desk. He turned on his computer and looked out the window. "In love," Roy muttered to himself in disbelief.

There’d been little work lately. Jean had picked up a case regarding an affair. It suited him. Jean was always into sneaking around and finding dirt on people. Roy, on the other hand, was in it for bigger fish. He liked the hard, challenging work of missing people and murders. It wasn’t that he came across them anyway. Private detective work was a job of patience. He typed in his password with a heavy sigh. There were going to be several emails, mostly bills, and a few asking for help over petty matters that a high schooler could do. 

Roy looked up, scanning the room for their youngest member. “Where’s Edward?” 

“He said he was running late. He mumbled something about Al and his girlfriend.” Rebecca came from the room with the flowers perfectly arranged in a vase. “You know how he is.” 

Roy nodded. 

“We did have a call this morning, first thing, from an Olivier Armstrong,” she continued. “She said she had a missing item she wanted you to look for.” 

He scoffed. “Is she missing her slippers? Maybe a little dog?” 

“A sword.” 

“Is this from the Armstrong Estate?” Roy leaned on his elbows on his desk, his fingers weaving together as he considered the request. “They don’t need some cheap private investigator. They have people in the actual police force.” 

She turned in her chair after setting the flowers on her desk. “I’m not sure. She was adamant. She insisted on you giving her a call.” 

Roy scrunched his nose. “It’s just some sword,” he mumbled.

Rebecca tossed a paper onto his desk, flicking her long hair over her shoulder again before sitting back down. 

“Hey there, Babe!” a voice called. Roy didn’t need to look up from his computer to see the huge grin on his partner’s face. He could already hear the excitement in his voice clear as day, as he laid eyes on his girlfriend.

“Good morning, Jean,” Rebecca greeted, her tone much softer than a moment ago when she’d spoken to Roy.

Jean Havoc was a character in himself. He’d never spent time in the police force like Roy had. He was just a guy who was good at eyeing the obvious. He stood, leaning back on his heels, as he tossed his jacket on the coat rack. His blonde hair was roughed in the front, and his blue eyes were always smiling. An unlit cigarette hung from his lips. He was casual, even in his stance, as he usually had a hand in his pocket with a crooked grin on his face. He wasn’t formal like Roy, but more relaxed. It didn’t bother Roy that his tie wasn’t on his neck, tight like the noose Roy was beginning to think his tie was in this heat. It also didn’t bother him that he wore sneakers and jeans on other days. The man could hold up his end of the workload and that was all that mattered to Roy. So long as the work was finished on time, and it was done well, Roy didn’t particularly care.

“I missed you,” Jean said softly as he leaned towards Rebecca, giving her a quick peck on her lips. He had a slight drawl, giving away that he was from the southeastern part of Amestris. 

“You should have been on time,” she chastised with a playful smile. “Then you wouldn’t miss me so much.” Of course she’d put him in his place. Rebecca was the office manager after all. 

The two had been dating for almost three months. It was a cute affair, one that Roy had turned his back to. It didn’t affect the work, and it was clear they were meant for each other. It was even heart-warming to know that a man like Jean Havoc could find someone to love him as much as Rebecca did. 

“Who got you flowers,” Jean asked as he wandered towards his own desk, dropping a backpack on the ground. He turned his own computer on and sat in his chair, waiting for it to boot up.

“Roy did,” she replied simply, adjusting one of the daisies and smiling at the new decoration for her desk.

Jean nodded towards him. “You flirting with my girl?” The challenge was in Jean’s tone, but there was no real threat behind it. 

Roy laughed, leaning back in his seat. “She wasn’t yours when I walked in. I thought she was fair game,” he joked. 

Jean snorted a laugh. “It looks like you went back to your coffee shop,” he nodded towards the cup on his desk. “Did you meet a girl there?” Roy didn’t miss the way he lifted his eyebrows twice, indicating the suggestive comment. 

Roy tossed the cup in the trash, despite the fact that there was still some frappuccino in it. He deserved that, Roy supposed, after his comment regarding Rebecca.

She just grinned at him over her shoulder. 

Their banter in the morning set them up for the day nicely, and although Jean and Rebecca could almost be insufferable with their lovey-dovey shenanigans, Roy did enjoy their company. They were good people and good friends. As a partner, Roy could think of no one better to have than Jean Havoc. They worked incredibly well together. While working a case, it felt as if they could be unstoppable. Rebecca, who was incredibly perceptive and prone to gossip, worked very well in the favor of a private detective. Her input was always invaluable. She’d helped them numerous times on cases before and if she ever left, Roy didn’t know what he’d do without her.

All applications had now loaded on Roy’s computer, so it was time to get to work. There were assignments to do, but Roy decided he’d get back to Ms. Armstrong off the bat and rid himself of that chore. He dialed her number, leaning on the desk with his fingers massaging his forehead, mentally preparing himself to deal with another rich client.

They always paid well, but the majority expected miracles to happen. Roy and his team were good enough that they could manage to make it work somehow, but it could be a chore to work through. One headache after another. Rich people lived in another world from everyone else and apparently didn’t seem to realise how the real world actually functioned. 

Removing his hand from his forehead, he drummed his fingers lightly on his desk. His mind wandered, as it had been doing a lot lately, towards a certain woman. He should have talked to the blonde that caught his eye. Maybe next time, he’d offer to buy her drink, or stand up as she walked by. He could even get the door for her on the way out and tell her she’s - 

“Armstrong Manor.” 

“Roy Mustang, calling for Olivier Armstrong.” 

“One moment.” 

He chewed on his lip, glancing in the trash at the cup. He wondered if the blonde was going to be there tomorrow, and if showing up would make it that obvious he was semi-stalking her. 

“Olivier.” 

“Ms. Armstrong -” 

“Olivier.” 

“Ms. Olivier,” Roy corrected himself. “This is Private Detective Mustang. My office manager gave me a message that you were interested in my services?” 

He could hear Olivier groan. “Took you long enough.” It had maybe only been an hour, but the Armstrongs had been known to be a bit impatient while waiting on services. “I have a family heirloom that has been stolen. You see, I carry my great great grandfather’s sword as a ranking officer of the military. It’s been stolen.” 

Roy noted a few things. “Where was it seen last?” he asked, mentally wondering who even carries a sword in the military nowadays?

“I would much rather talk to you in person about this,” she insisted. “Come over after 5. I will be happy to explain all this to you.” 

“I can do that.” It meant to be there at 5:01. And the matter about not talking on the phone meant that not everyone needed to hear it. She was either embarrassed it was lost, or the item was of special value to an outside listener. Either way, Roy gritted his teeth to even agreeing to follow up. He pondered over the idea that this may turn into another headache case.

“Nevertheless,” Olivier continued. “Your work will not go without notice. I will be sure to pay you handsomely.” 

Roy took down another note. “I understand. I will be there after 5.” 

She hung up with a click on the other end of his phone. 

The front door opened, and Roy looked to see his protege, Edward Elric, walk in.

Edward was short for his age, even scrawny. He wore tight jeans and a t-shirt with some logo on it most days. When Roy asked him to put on a polo, Ed would grumble, even argue, but would do as he was asked. He had long hair, golden in color, or a darker yellow as Rebecca described it. It was pulled into a braid or a ponytail with thick parts escaping to frame his face. If anything, he was a talented young man that just needed some guidance in life. Edward had studied Technology and Computer Sciences in school but said it bored him. He’d told Roy he needed something more exciting. Roy and Jean both had to explain to Ed that not every mission included shootouts and murders, to even Roy’s disappointment, but Ed kept coming back. He was smart, and caught on quickly. Roy tended to give him the “lost dog” assignments, just something to do and to get Ed’s feet wet. Of course, Ed wanted to make a name of himself and Roy even expected him to go on to bigger things, only making this a short-lived hobby. 

“Late,” Roy called out, seeing a glare from Ed as he sat at his desk. 

“I had things to attend to,” came a snap of a reply. 

Roy didn’t antagonize him. He only rolled his eyes and went back to his emails, looking for something to do for the day.

He liked Ed. He was a hard worker and provided a different viewpoint on things from a younger standpoint. However, his attitude stunk most of the time, mainly with Roy. He hadn’t grown out of that “little shit” attitude and it could wear thin fast with Roy. If he wanted to make a name for himself he needed to buckle up and talk to adults like  _ actual _ adults, not authority figures that were out to get him. Respect was earned, and with Edward’s attitude sometimes, it was a wonder he got any. Luckily, Roy and Jean were laid back and they let it roll off their backs. Rebecca, however, was more than happy to put Ed in his place when the situation called for it. There hadn’t been an incident since the first time Rebecca snapped back at him. Roy laughed about it, guessing that now Edward was probably scared of her.

“Hey, Ed,” Jean greeted jovially as he picked up a folder, trying to brighten the mood in the office. That was Jean Havoc’s specialty. “Wanna ride with me to Ms. Finch’s place. I think her boyfriend might be making a visit today. I’ll let you take the pictures.” 

“I’m not some kid that needs a ride-along,” Ed grumbled. Judging by his sullen expression, the ‘things he had to attend to’ that morning hadn’t been pleasant.

“Fine.” Roy tossed him a file. 

Ed opened it, letting out another loud grump. “Seriously?” 

Roy nodded, not even looking up from his desk. A simple and petty job was his reward for bringing his bad attitude into the office on what had been a wonderful Wednesday morning for them all.

Ed looked over at Jean who shrugged and went back to his own files. 

“A stolen car? Don’t the police do their jobs around here?” Ed got up, tucking the file under his arm and putting a hat on. “This is bullshit.” 

“Language,” Roy corrected just as Rebecca opened her mouth to protest the same thing. “And it’s just a car. Check the VIN numbers like I showered you. It’s probably been repainted.” 

“Then why are we looking for it?” 

“Because we’re being hired to.” Roy put his pen down and looked up at the young man. “We don’t ask questions why, just take the money and do what they ask. That’s what private work is. We’re only finding answers to their questions.” 

Ed grumbled something Roy chose to ignore and walked out of the office. 

“That was easy,” Jean commented. “I thought he’d be there all day on his phone.” 

“He can be on his phone all day somewhere else,” Roy sighed. “I’m not paying him to sit on his ass, I’m paying him to work.” His shoulders drooped for a moment. “Besides, he needs to learn that attitude won’t fly as a private detective.”

“You got that right,” Rebecca agreed with a firm nod.

Jean hummed in agreement. “He does seem a bit out of sorts, doesn’t he?”

“Out of sorts?” Roy echoed, a quiet laugh leaving him. “That was normal Ed.”

Rebecca snorted.

“You’re right,” Jean laughed. “But there was something else there. Yeah, he’s never in the best mood coming in here, but he obviously likes the work enough to come back. Otherwise, why do something you hate?”

“I don’t think it’s the work he hates,” Roy muttered. But Roy had to agree. Edward had been late and had been completely sullen for the very brief time he was in the office.

“True again,” Jean grinned.

“Something is bothering him.” Jean shrugged. “I doubt he’ll tell any of us though. Maybe that kind of work will keep his mind preoccupied.”

Roy hummed noncommittally, effectively ending the conversation.

He turned back to his computer, his eyes roving over the words before him. But his mind was elsewhere. No matter how he tried, the caramel eyes kept pulling him from his work. He stared at the files, writing down a few things on each one of them. One he wrote “complete,” the other he wrote “Marks Park,” the third… It didn’t matter. He wanted to write the mystery woman’s name. She was the big case he was looking for, pulling at his skills to find her and discover who she was. Roy knew that was not how it worked. One reason why he was not in a relationship was his annoying habit of searching into some one’s past. He didn’t need her past, he just wanted her name. He didn’t need anything else. He vowed that this time would be different from all the others. Roy was turning over a new leaf, and he hoped it would pay off because this alluring woman broke him in all the ways that he was. She was the mystery to never be solved. 

“We're going to Marshall’s theatre on Friday,” Jean asked Rebecca as he leaned against her desk, interrupting Roy’s work flow for a moment. “I can get tickets today.” His smile was easy and charming as he smirked at his girlfriend. Glancing over, Roy could see Jean Havoc was easily a fool in love. 

Rebecca hummed agreeably. “I think that will be nice.” She leaned forward against her desk, moving herself closer to Jean. Her fingers walked slowly up his stomach and chest to rest just above his heart. “ You better dress up this time.” 

Roy ignored the flirting. He instead chewed on his bottom lip as he tried to focus. There was the case of the printers lighting on fire. A company refused to pay a settlement with the accusation that their products do not light on fire. He had quite a bit of investigating to do on that. Roy got online and started to look at hotels. He was going to have to go out of town for it. At least company expenses were a tax write off. The information he’d collected was in the favor of the victim as it was. He found two other cases of printers just lighting on fire, one printer being a newer model. It wasn’t a missing person, but it was work. Maybe he’d even take Ed. He was sure having an additional set of eyes, one that was more accustomed to technology, would help. Not only could they bond, but Ed would feel like he was actually doing something more than finding a stolen car. 

Roy scoffed at himself. He and Ed “bond.” That was a joke. They’d probably fight the whole time. Why Roy invested himself into Edward was a mystery even to himself, but he did see something in the kid. Despite his gripes and moans, Edward was a hard worker and when prompted in the right direction, and when he applied himself, Edward could achieve great things.

He leaned back in his chair, resting his left hand under his right arm as he chewed on the end of his pen. He needed to know her name. He grumbled and chewed on the pen more aggressively. They called her name when they gave her the latte… Why didn’t he hear it? Friday he would return. He’d pay more attention. His eyes widened as he began to think deeper into it. He was so distracted by her, he didn’t hear her name. She was able to blind him. “Damn,” he muttered.

“What?” Rebecca turned to look at him. 

“Roy’s just thinking,” Jean waved his hand towards him, waving him off. “He’s off in Detective Land.” 

Thankful for the save from Jean, but also realizing that this predicament he found himself in was affecting his work, Roy tossed the computer file in the corner of his desk and pulled up his emails. “Rebecca, when you get a chance, can you print off all the information you have regarding the Armstrongs and an heirloom sword?” 

“You got it,” she answered quickly, gently pushing Jean off her desk. She settled back in her chair as Jean pouted at the loss of her affection and started typing.

“I want to know what I’m going into,” Roy muttered. He also needed something other than a pretty blonde to think about. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you go! Chapter 1! Let us know what you think! PS: We are highly motivated by comments.  
> But! Thank you for being readers! You give us fuel to write.  
> Stay safe! Have fun. See ya next week!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy meets Olivier about her stolen item, and gives an ethics lesson to Ed, who's not so happy about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man! Has it been a week already? Sure hasn't felt like it!

Roy drove up the extremely long and unnecessary driveway of the Armstrong Manor. He squinted, taking in the expansive lawns that were mowed to perfection. If he were to guess, there wouldn’t be a blade of grass out of place. A large statue, surrounded by pristine gardens, and a main fountain centered the driveway. The concrete itself was pure white, looking as if it was cleaned just yesterday. It seemed very typical of the Armstrong family, given their reputation. They were known to be known as the perfect family of Amestris. They were long-running officials, pronounced generals with a known influence of the government, and a figure every Amestrian knew of from history classes. They came from old money, dating back generations and were very vocal about that fact. Roy didn’t run in the same circles as these people but he’d heard enough about them through his work to form his own opinion. Not that his opinion amounted to much.

The Manor itself was incredible. It had been standing for over a century. Perfectly symmetrical, the white brick building was expansive as it stretched across the windscreen of Roy’s car. The blue slate roof was a nice touch to the startling white house, where even the accents seemed golden. Roy squinted again, looking at the golden patterns on the white brick. They wouldn’t be  _ real _ gold, right? Two separate structures lay on the left and right of the main building, matching the symmetrical theme of the main house. One was an old carriage house, back in the days which one would stable and hold their coach. On either side of them, a large forest extended in every direction.

A guard greeted Roy at the main gate. He stated his name and that he had a meeting with Ms. Olivier. Promptly, he was granted access and was left once more marveling at the scenery around him, daring to challenge the spectral that was the driveway of more glorious ornates. The house was even larger up close. He stopped the car in front of the fountain as was directed. A butler was waiting for him there, ready to escort him into the house. 

“Good evening, Mr. Mustang,” the man greeted. His hair had once been all black but was now greying around his temples, slicked back, perfectly tamed, but showing off his receding hairline. He must have been one of the Armstrong's butlers because his clothes screamed that it was his job. The stark white shirt was bright compared to the black of his suit. The dark fabric almost seemed to shine in the sun, just like his well-polished shoes. “If you could leave your vehicle here and follow me into the house, I will escort you to where Ms. Olivier is waiting for you.”

Agreeing, Roy exited the car and locked it, pocketing his keys. 

“Ms. Olivier has informed us it will be a short meeting you will be having today, however, we do have valet service available, should you desire it? Alternatively, we can leave the car here for you.”

“No need to trouble yourselves,” Roy insisted. “Here is fine.”

“It is no trouble at all, I can assure you,” the butler smiled. “But that’s quite all right. If you would please follow me.” With a nod of his head, the butler began to walk towards the house, where hedgerows lined the path. They were cut and styled to perfection.

No other words were spoken as they walked. Another man stood by the Manor’s main entrance. He was dressed similarly to the butler, and held the door open for Roy, gesturing for him to enter the house. Roy did so, and was left in awe of the place. He could probably fit his whole apartment in this entryway. High ceilings towered above, giving way to a beautifully patterned stained glass ceiling. It didn’t cover the whole ceiling, as a chandelier hung from the center. He gulped. The chandelier alone was worth more than his lifetime salary, he was sure of it. 

Before Roy could stare much longer, he was prompted to walk to the right towards where Ms. Olivier was waiting. He adjusted his tie, running his hand through his hair, feeling self-aware of his attire. He was underdressed. Anything he owned was probably “underdressed” for even what the butlers had. Roy groaned internally. He adjusted the cuffs on his jacket and pushed out his chest. If he wanted the job, which he was unsure that he did, he needed to be able to look like he was qualified for it. He laughed inside his head. He didn’t want to look like Ed earlier that morning. 

He’d been in many houses of the rich families across Central, but this one was certainly the most impressive so far. There were not too many decorations, mostly larger than life paintings of family members as they walked down the hallway. Old renaissance paintings gave way to more modern styles as they progressed through time. The family had certainly been around long enough to have helped build the country. 

The butler stopped at a doorway where the portraits ended. Ms. Olivier’s face in the painting stared stonily back at him as Roy glanced around curiously. No other painting followed, ending with the current eldest of the Armstrong family.

“Detective Mustang,” Ms. Olivier greeted immediately as he walked through the door to her office. He was barely in the room before she spoke, suggesting that she would not be kept waiting. Her eyes were judging him harshly and her tone unforgiving. 

“Ms. Olivier.” Roy fought the frog in his throat and internally blamed his neck collar for being too tight that caused his voice to be coarse. He sat in the chair offered to him by the butler in front of Ms. Olivier's desk.

“As you are already aware, this matter is of the utmost importance to me and it is imperative it’s handled discreetly.” Her warning glare was meant to drive that point home.

“Understood, Ma’am. You have my word that we will be discreet.” 

“Good.” She crossed her arms as she leaned back in her seat. “I was at a party on Saturday night where the sword was on my person. I set it down for a moment and when I returned, it was gone.”

Roy nodded, pulling out a notepad from his jacket pocket. “What did the sword look like?”

“It was a sword,” she replied vaguely, waving away his question as if a child had asked what color was the sky. “Black hilt, steel blade, but made by my Great-Great-Grandfather. It has the Armstrong name carved into the steel.”

Roy noted it down the extremely vague description and internally sighed. “Any other details?”

“That’s it.” Her nose rose into the air with a snobby huff. “It’s a family heirloom.”

Resisting the urge to grit his teeth, he smiled at his client instead. “Do you have any idea who would have a reason to take it?”

“None.”

“Okay.” He eyed the bare-bones details in front of him. “Would it be possible to get a copy of the guestlist from that night? And a picture for reference?”

Olivier snapped her fingers at the butler. A flourish of information was presented immediately. She’d expected Roy’s request. “They’re all in there.” She handed him a folder, almost dropping it in his hands as she turned in her chair to look out the window by her desk.

Roy took a quick look over the list, nodding as he noted a few familiar names. There were politicians, important high society people, lobbyists… The list went on and on. He placed it down on the desk, mind already ticking over as he tried to wrack his brain for details on some of the people he recognized. However, one question did stick in his mind. Which one of these people would steal a  _ sword _ ? It had no place in politics and if someone from high society had stolen it, it would likely be for revenge. Swords were more decorations than anything. 

“Thank you for your cooperation, Ms. Olivier. I’ll take a look over these names and get back to you as soon as possible.” 

“Do you have a time frame?” she asked, her impatience seeping through.

“It’s hard to say, Ma’am,” he managed to get out, hiding his own frustration at the request. He couldn’t produce things out of thin air. “I understand the importance of this request and will focus all my attention upon it, but it will take some time to sift through this information. Luckily, a sword is an item that stands out quite a bit in this day and age. I’ll ask around my connections immediately and make a start. I’ll report back to you on any progress as soon as possible.”

“What price do you normally charge for an item of this stature?”

Roy wanted to roll his eyes. Of this stature? It was just a sword. He took in a deep breath as he thought about it. “Well, probably a 20,000 cenz down payment, and a 10,000 upon delivery.” 

She nodded, rubbing her chin. “I will give you 60,000 cenz now and 40,000 cenz upon delivery.” She waved her hand to a butler nearby. “Make sure he’s paid before he leaves.” 

“Yes, Ma’am,” the butler replied. 

Roy was trying to get his heart to start up again. He’d given an upper range number just to be an ass, and now she was raising it more! That was nearly a full year’s salary over a damn sword. 

“I can agree to that…” he replied, feeling slightly dazed.

“Of course you can,” she cut him off curtly. 

The butler returned and handed Roy a cheque. It was the brightest white of a piece of paper he’d ever seen. It was crisp to touch as if it had been ironed. 

“Thank you,” she dismissed with a flick of her wrist. Her gaze was back on the paper in front of her as she wrote, effectively ending their conversation.

The butler stepped forward and gestured for Roy to follow him once more. Roy looked down at the cheque in his hand. As they walked back through the house, Roy’s mind ticked over trying to drum up a plan to get started as soon as possible. He would need all hands on deck for this one. He realized now that it was more important to get this job done to maintain his own reputation. 

* * *

The Armstrong case wasn’t a day or two case. After a week, they didn’t have a lot to go on. The information was more than he expected to sift through. With the dignitaries, he had to be careful of how he approached it. Politicians could spin their words expertly to divert attention away from them. Luckily, Roy had plenty prior experience of dealing with them. After a few days, he decided to clear his mind, take a stroll through a park. The fresh air would clear the fog that had settled over it and maybe when he went back to his stuffy office, he’d be able to make more sense of the other cases and the Armstrong one. He tossed his jacket on the back of the park bench and collapsed onto the seat. He had too much to do. Maybe he should give some away to Edward. 

People watching was a hobby of Roy’s. He’d come here to relax, so he lounged on the bench and enjoyed the quiet moment of peace. He played a game, wondering how much he could determine about a person’s personality just from the way they interacted with the world around them. Roy didn’t judge, it was just a game he’d developed in his head about people in general. Human beings fascinated him. That was one of the reasons why he enjoyed his work. 

The park was bustling today. People were milling about everywhere. Roy saw businessmen and women, talking animatedly on their phones or looking deep in thought. There were multiple families with kids running riot on the grass and laughing as they enjoyed their game. That made Roy smile. Oh, to have the worries of a child. Teenagers walked past him in their cliques, gossiping with one another or talking loudly about the latest fad going around. Joggers sped past, leaving a tiny, gentle breeze behind as they moved through the thick summer air. 

As Roy’s eyes lazily wandered around the park, he was becoming bored with his game. That was until a specific blonde-haired woman wandered into his view. His heart leaped in his chest and his body tensed. He hadn’t seen her in a while. She wasn’t at the coffee shop last Friday. She was walking calmly, a little black and white dog at her side. It was an innocent stroll if he ever saw one. He noticed her tan capris and her flowing pink shirt, her blonde hair pulled up into a clip. She was beautiful. 

Roy settled back into the bench and tried to play it cool. It took every ounce of his willpower not to look her way. If he was lucky, he could play it off when she walked by. His stomach tightened with anticipation. He wasn’t sure if he should say something or not. He wanted to, so he should right? He heard laughing in his head. All the girls in his past, he was suave and had more confidence than was ever owed. Now he felt as if he didn’t even have a leg to stand on. 

“Aren’t you the gentleman that keeps staring at me at the coffee shop?” 

What a way to stop and talk to him! He turned his head, smiling nervously. He was a bad private detective if it was obvious he was snooping on people. “Good afternoon,” he answered with a sheepish smile, trying to play off his guilt. “I just happen to see you, that’s all.” 

She chuckled, putting her hand on her hip. Her little dog next to her sat down, tail wagging happily. “The first time I saw you, I just figured you were there for the coffee, but now you’re there all the time.” 

“Only every Friday,” he corrected with a laugh. “Maybe we just happen to be there at the same time?” 

He noticed her blonde bangs bounce as she nodded, a twinkle in her eye. “I’m sure it’s just a coincidence.” Her tone and smile indicated she didn’t believe him in the slightest.

He sighed. “I’m sorry if I have made you uncomfortable. That wasn’t my intention.” He held out his hand. “I’m Roy.”

“Roy…” She tested his name. “I’m Riza.” She took his hand and shook it firmly. 

“Is it too cliche to say that’s a pretty name?” 

“Just a little.” Her voice was smooth and steady. Her smile lessened the impact of her words. 

“Well, it is.” He scratched the back of his head. “Since I’m not stalking you here, do you come here often?” It was already awkward that he was caught, he might as well roll with it, right?

“So you can stalk me more?” She laughed quietly and Roy wasn’t sure if it was more of a scoff of disbelief, or if it was amusement. He hoped for the latter.

“No,” he shook his head, waving his hands in front of himself with a cheap grin. “More like so I can be here often,” he quipped, attempting to make a joke of the situation but now he was just coming across as a creeper. 

He appeared to be safe. His joke hadn’t landed badly and Riza nodded, her expression still agreeable. “I do, actually.” She motioned to her dog. “This is Hayate’s favorite park.” 

He leaned over and looked at the dog more closely. “Hayate is a good name for a dog.” 

“Say hello,” she instructed, looking down at the pup.

Hayate barked, wagging his tail and tongue hanging out in a wide smile. Roy would be that happy too if he was walking beside her. 

“Hello to you,” he answered. He sat up and looked back at Riza. “Would you mind if I asked you out for a cup of coffee, Ms. Riza?” 

She giggled. “I’m a little busy right now.” She answered. “But I’m sure I will see you Friday,” she winked.

Roy stood up as she started to walk away. “At least let me buy you coffee on Friday,” he offered. 

“I will think about it,” she waved over her shoulder. “It was nice to finally meet you, Roy.” 

He watched her leave, mouth open. “Nice to meet you,” he whispered.

She had talked to him first. She’d even noticed him! To Roy’s disappointment, however, he had come across a little awkward. She was noticing him in all the wrong ways. The fact that she even stopped to talk to him was surprising enough. Most women would run the other way. But she’d stopped to say hi. Roy grinned as he puffed out his chest. Maybe it was because he was that good looking. 

He grabbed his jacket from the back of the bench and put it over his arm. So much for getting any work done now. Ms. Riza had talked to him! He was going to be thinking about that for the rest of the day. 

* * *

“Look at that face,” Jean cooed.

Roy dropped his head to his desk. “Go away,” he mumbled into his papers. The persistence was irritable, however, Roy didn’t mind too much because he knew her name now!

“It’s so obvious!” Jean crossed his arms as his hip rested on Rebecca’s desk. “I have to know who this girl is!” 

“You’re a detective,” Rebecca slapped his thigh playfully. “You should already know!” 

“100 cenz says I can find out first,” he pointed at his girlfriend. 

She held out her hand, shaking Jean’s hand. “You got yourself a deal.” 

“I’m not going to be the talk of this office,’ Roy mumbled again. Damn those two and their bets. They were made for each other, Roy was sure of it.

“Hey Roy,” the young man across the room interrupted, snapping at him. “I need a software update for this program if you want me to access these files.” Ed was doing it semi-illegally. Having an update was more than necessary. 

Roy sighed. “Can’t you go in a different way?” 

“So far, what I’ve found is there are over 1,000 cases of their printer’s actually overheating. Only about 4 of them caught on fire.” Ed put his feet on the desk. They didn’t linger there long as Rebecca swatted them off while she walked by, on her way to pick up a file from Roy’s desk for filing. He frowned at her before turning back to Roy. “I can’t access these files without updated software.” 

Roy returned his head to the desk for a second before sitting up straight and looked seriously at Ed. “We should be doing this legally. I don’t want to technically go to court because we got the info by stealing it.” 

Ed’s face didn’t change. He sat there with a face straight as a ruler. “Being a whistleblower should be an honor.” 

Jean opened his mouth before shutting it. He turned and went back to his computer, acting as if he hadn’t heard any part of the argument forming. Roy wished he could do the same, but Edward was his protege. He needed to keep him right.

“If you get on and hack their files and find out they’re aware of these printers starting fires, you’re not only  _ stealing _ information, but you are also hacking their private files.” Roy’s stare was serious as he spoke to the young man who wished to be a legitimate private detective one day. If that’s what he wanted then he had to do it properly. Roy wouldn’t teach him to deal in dirty tactics.

“If they know they’re doing wrong, of course, they’d hide it!” Ed pointed to his computer. “I’m saving companies harm.” 

As much as Roy thought he was taking the assignment too serious, he admired the dedication Ed had.

“The job is to obtain information for Alpha printing to have a substantial argument in court. This information will help them win the case. And-” Ed lifted a finger to keep Roy from arguing. “It will increase that reputation you’re looking for.” 

“By doing something illegal,” Roy argued loudly. “You have to obtain it legally.” 

“No one will know it was obtained illegally if you gave me the right software,” Ed raised his voice. “Then it’d just be  _ anonymously acquired _ !” 

“Edward!” Roy barked a warning.

“Roy!” he fired right back, rising to the challenge. Ed’s eyes were defiant as he stared at his boss.

Rebecca and Jean looked at each other before Rebecca stood up and walked over to Edward. “I think this is a moment where some constructive critical thinking can be used.” She pointed to the computer. “Are there other ways, through websites or through public documents, that this can be obtained?” 

Ed leaned back in his chair and pouted. He shook his head.

“You need to learn the law,” Roy added in a gruff voice. 

“You need to learn to be a decent human being,” Ed griped back. 

Roy gritted his teeth, staring at the teen and wondering whether or not to toss him out the door on his ass.

“You’re risking the lives of all these people!” Ed stood up, red-faced, finally openly challenging his boss. 

“You’re being insubordinate, Edward.” Roy pointed his finger. “You are dangerously close to being fired. Regardless of whether this will save lives or money, we are going to do it  _ legally _ . Is that understood?” 

“Edward,” Jean stood up and lifted his hands in front of himself to offer peace between them. “I totally see what you’re saying. I do, and I think what you’re doing is admirable, but some things need to be handled differently.” 

“I know what I’m doing,” Ed turned on his heel and marched to the door. 

“Don’t you dare walk out that door,” Roy called to him. 

“Why? So you can yell at me like I’m a child?” He grabbed his jacket. “It's time for me to get Al anyway.” 

The three of them watched Ed’s back march through the door. 

“You have to go easy on him,” Jean chastised. 

“Don’t tell me how to do my job,” Roy growled. 

“He’s very impressionable,” Rebecca added. “And you said it yourself, he’s got real talent.” Her head cocked to the side in thought. “I think that’s part of the issue though. Alphonse told me at school Edward excelled in everything. He was the golden boy, top of his class  _ all  _ the time. Perhaps he’s been told too often that he’s too good, and no one has challenged him before?” she mused.

“It would explain a lot of his behaviour,” Jean agreed. “Doesn’t give him the right to be so grouchy with us all the time though,” he added in a mumble.

“So you noticed it too?” Roy asked.

Jean and Rebecca both nodded.

“It would mean we’d need to go easier on him. After all, he  _ is _ still a teenager at 19,” Jean reminded them. “We just… need to change our approach when talking to him.”

Roy fell into his seat with a loud sigh. “I’m still not going to endorse him gaining files illegally.” 

Rebecca smiled as she leaned against the wall. “We’re not asking you to. Have solutions for him.” 

Roy raised his eyebrow. 

“Tomorrow, we all should have a way he can get those files.” 

Roy looked down at the open file on his desk. There were three pictures of the Armstrong heirloom sword and a list of people. He wondered what kind of dirt Edward could dig up on all these politicians? “Has he done any interviewing?” 

Jean tilted his head. “You took him on a few, and I took him on one a few months ago.” 

Rebecca nodded. “He’s been mostly in the field looking for this and that, or on the computer.” 

“No wonder he’s uptight,” Jean sighed. “He’s been sitting here unable to do anything he’s trained to do. He’s used to sitting on top and now he’s been reduced to sitting at a desk, doing work that’s far too easy for him. There’s nothing stimulating for him here. If that continues, I don’t see him staying with us for very long.” 

“I have to go interview a few people,” Roy added quietly. “I think I’ll take him tomorrow.” 

“Are you sure, Chief?” Jean leaned against his own desk. “He already hates you, and you’re worked up. Won’t it just make things worse?” 

Roy nodded. “Then you do it.” He lifted the paper and went to hand it to Jean. 

Rebecca pulled the paper from Roy’s hands and put it back on his desk. “No, Roy Mustang, you’re going to make this up to him! You’re the one that’s going to do this.” 

He pinched the bridge of his nose as he resisted the urge to grind his teeth. “And how do you expect me to do that, Rebecca?” 

They stood there quietly for a few moments, all thinking of ways to get Edward more involved in something to build his self-esteem and mood. 

Roy lifted a finger as he started to smile. “I’d normally ask you,” he said as he pointed to Rebecca, “to get me a list of something…”

Jean and Rebecca looked at each other again. 

“I need to start this case from the bottom up. I’m wanting to jump in when I am looking too far ahead.” Roy knew he was talking to himself as he stared at the photos in front of him, but he didn’t care. He had the idea in his mind and wasn’t going to let it go.

“What does-” 

Roy cut Jean off. “I’m want to go straight to interviews. Most stolen objects are pawned or sold to dealers.” 

“I still don’t know where this is going,” Jean asked again. 

“I have an idea.” Roy nodded as he turned to his computer. “We’ll have Edward start from the bottom up.” He started typing on his computer. “Don’t you know some dealers on the black market?” 

“Yeah,” Jean said slowly. 

“If I was selling an antique sword, who would buy it?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's funny how you can feel busy with nothing to do.
> 
> Don't forget to stop and say hi in the comments area. 
> 
> Thank you for being a reader. We appreciate you in more ways than one!  
> Have a fantastic day


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy and Ed discuss their actions then make a start on carrying out interviews for the case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys!! writing roy and ed working together was really fun for us so we hope you enjoy this one!

“You want me to do what?” 

Roy grabbed his shoulder holster and put it on, slipping it over his shoulders. He pulled his pistol out of his holder, checking to make sure it was loaded before putting it back. 

“Are you serious?” 

Roy nodded as he put his jacket on. 

Ed stared at him. “How do we know we’re going to find it?”

“We don’t.” Roy handed him a sport coat and a button-down shirt. “Here, look a bit more professional.” 

“Jean wears polos.” 

“Jean isn’t coming.” 

Edward pulled off his shirt and awkwardly started buttoning up the white shirt. “This isn’t even going to matter.” 

Rebecca came over to him, wrapping a tie around his neck. “Looks do matter. You need to look like you know what you’re doing, not that you don’t.” She started tying the knot. Roy watched as he tied his own. 

“If you look like a professional, they will treat you like one,” Jean added. “Though I’d really like to know why this sword is so freaking important.”

Roy walked over to his desk and opened the drawer. “This is why.” He pulled out the hefty cheque and handed it to his blonde coworker. 

Jean stumbled in his place. “Are you fucking serious?” 

“What?” Ed leaned towards them only to be straightened by Rebecca who finished the tie. 

“This is three times the payment of a regular assignment!” 

Roy nodded. “Will you get that deposited for me?” 

Jean whistled low. “All that money just for a sword,” he chuckled. He wafted the cheque in front of him like it was a fan.

“Yeah, and if it goes missing, I’ll know exactly where to look.”

“You wound me, Roy,” Jean pouted, clutching at his chest. “I’ll cash your check, don’t you worry your pretty little head,” he cooed, then laughed heartily as Roy shot him a glare. Jean picked up his jacket tossing it over his shoulder and holding it with a few fingers. “I’ll make myself scarce and do some  _ actual _ detective work today, and leave you to your little medieval sword mission.”

“Now tuck in your shirt,” Rebecca said with a smile to Edward. The young man looked more than overwhelmed as he tucked in his shirt. Roy had to wonder if he’d ever dressed like this before.

She turned around to grab at Roy and straighten his tie. “You better be careful with him, Roy.” 

He didn’t respond. He had every intention of being careful. 

“I’m serious,” she warned, pulling on the tie as a good warning. 

Roy pulled back from her and loosened the tie so he could breathe, glaring at the woman of the office. 

“Heymans is harmless,” Jean chuckled from his desk. 

It didn’t mean that they didn’t need to be careful. He watched Edward put on the jacket and adjust it. It didn’t fit him perfectly, but it’d work for this instance. 

“We’re going to walk right into a black market art dealer and ask him if he’s seen a sword?” Ed raised his eyebrow towards the three of them. 

Roy nodded. “Something like that.” 

Ed looked back at Rebecca. 

“While you two are gone, I’ll get you contact information for a few interviews,” Rebecca turned to sit at her desk. “You said Senator Raven, correct?” 

Roy nodded. “Yeah. See if you can organize a meeting with him as well.” 

“You got it, Boss.” 

“Have fun,” Jean rubbed the top of Edward's head affectionately while Roy opened the door. “Be smart about it.” 

“Any advice?” Ed looked up at Jean before following after Roy. He looked almost scared, overwhelmed at the sudden assignment. Roy was sure he was more uncomfortable about it since they had hard feelings for each other after the fight yesterday. He was going to make it up to Ed though. He wasn’t going to let those hard feelings come between them. 

Jean grinned. “Let Heymans do the talking. The less he knows about you, the better. The more you know about him, the better. Lastly, don’t ever give away that what you’re looking for is important. Heymans will want it more than you.” 

Ed blinked two times before following Roy out the door. They turned down the sidewalk and walked over towards Roy’s car. It was normally parked at the office and Ed had rarely seen Roy drive it except on certain occasions. It wasn’t the newest of models, but it was clean and ran without problems.

“Get in,” Roy instructed, opening his side. As they got settled, Roy turned on the car and checked his mirrors. “Ed, I did want to apologize for blowing up yesterday.” 

Ed’s mouth should have landed in his lap. Roy would have expected it to. He was not a man of apologies, especially not to Ed. 

“I shouldn’t have let it get out of hand. I wanted to make sure you understand that you’re a part of our team.” Roy pulled out onto the street, checking the lanes before moving into a turning lane. His eyes remained on the street while his hands tightened on the steering wheel. It was indeed hard for him to say sorry. However, Rebecca said something to him and it struck home hard. Ed was impressionable. It was Roy’s responsibility to make him into a good detective, not someone who hated authority more because his mentors were assholes. He sighed. “I wasn’t very professional in the way I handled things.” 

Ed blinked again. He could see the young man trying to decide if he needed to say something or not. Roy didn’t expect anything from him. That was fine. Roy didn’t think Ed ever had a proper male authority figure in his life. But neither did Roy. 

“We just have to do things by the book to provide evidence to our clients. We have to have the utmost dignity and with integrity.” He glanced over to see Ed’s eyes on his lap where his fingers were fidgeting. “Listen, Ed, you may have breezed through school easily and been left to get on with things in any way you see fit, and I admire your ability to do that, however this is the  _ real _ world. If you do what you suggested, and get caught, your ass is on the line. So is mine, for authorizing it, and we both go to jail. So does Jean for working the case with you. He’s an accomplice. So’s Rebecca. There are always consequences for your actions, okay?” Roy prompted him gently. “Remember that.”

Ed nodded slowly. 

“You're my employee and I want to make sure you’re alright.”

“Just an employee, huh?” Ed asked, but there was no bite to his tone as he looked out the window.

“If we gave each other a chance, we could maybe be partners one day.” Roy grinned sideways and turned in an intersection.

Edward sighed heavily, obviously struggling with what to say. “I just feel like I’m being underutilized. I’m left with all the bitchwork that you guys don’t want to do.”

“Okay, first of all,” Roy stated calmly. “Language.” 

Ed scowled at him. 

“Do it at home, do it with your friends, I really don’t care, but in my office, and working for me, you will watch your language,” Roy warned. They’d already had this conversation, but Roy hoped that now, on more even and calmer terms, it would go through to Ed. “Respect is earned, Edward. And it goes both ways.”

“You swear all the time.” Ed glared at Roy. 

“Do as I say, not as I do.” It was a stupid excuse, but Roy admitted he needed to watch his language. 

“You don’t even seem to respect me,” he muttered. He crossed his arms and sunk into the seat.

“Because look at the attitude I get,” Roy laughed in disbelief. “Would  _ you _ do the same for someone who spoke to you the way you speak to me?”

“I’m not a kid,” he spat.

Roy could already feel the conversation getting out of hand again. He pinched the bridge of his nose. Okay, just like Jean said. Try another tactic. “No, you’re not. You’re an apprentice. Better than that, you’re a  _ paid _ apprentice. Not many can claim that title. And do you know why?”

“Why?” he mumbled back, still refusing to look at Roy.

“Because you’re  _ good _ . Professionally, I respect you enough for that. You work with computers in a way I’ve never seen before. Probably the best technological addition to the team since we got that useless 3D printer,” he joked. 

Ed let out a cough of a laugh, and his lips quirked upwards. 

“You’ve got real talent, but talent will only take you so far. I’ve… slacked on that recently. I’ve been giving you smaller jobs because they’re safer and they’re simple for you to do. It wasn’t intended to insult your intelligence, it was a means of preparing you for starting to work on bigger cases, like this one.” Roy reminded him, pulling the car into a parking lot. “You have to start at the bottom like all of us did.” He parked the car and killed the engine. “I have to start from the bottom too. So, let’s see what we can find out together.” 

They got out of the car and Roy ran his fingers through his hair. 

“He’s in there?” Ed pointed towards an office building. 

He nodded. “Not all black market dealers live in dark basements of the underworld,” he joked. As they started walking together, Roy nudged him gently. “Lesson one: You do the small jobs to establish connections. You get useful contacts for simple things, like car garages that you can call upon for a favour at some point. You have to build up respect with your peers in the field. That’s the only way you’ll really help people.”

“You’re really in it to help people?” Ed asked doubtfully, but there was still a hint of hope in his tone.

Roy nodded, stepping slowly up the stairs to the building. 

“Jean said you were in it for the money.”

Roy laughed loudly and rolled his eyes. “Jean says a lot of things. This case we can say it’s more about the money. But,” he opened the door, “you can’t say that we’re not curious as to why this sword is worth so much, right?”

“I suppose so, yeah.”

“And I’m helping a client find an heirloom of their family. I could’ve turned it down, even if it’s worth so much.” 

Ed stopped in the lobby of the big office building and looked around. There was a reason why he was in a suit. Everyone in the building was wearing one. The light tile marble floor under their feet and the bright lights above them screamed business of the most expensive kind. This was a place lawyers and bank officials set up their homes. Just by the look on Ed’s face, Roy would’ve guessed that Ed had also never been in a building like this one. He let Ed gawk as he walked over to the directory and searched for Heymans’ name. 

“While we are there,” he broke Ed’s attention, “I want you to watch his body language. I also want you to look at his office. It tells you a lot about a man. Like Jean said, don’t let him know what the sword is worth. Instead, we want to inquire about it.” 

“I thought you said we had to do things legally,” Edward interjected, but there was no scowl on his face. Just a raised eyebrow.

“We’re just going to talk to him. Is talking to someone illegal?”

“The black market isn’t legal.” 

Roy pointed to the sign. 

“Heymans Breda, art consultant?” Ed looked back at him. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” 

Roy waved over his shoulder as they walked towards the elevator. “It’s not illegal to talk.” The doors on the elevators closed with a light and joyful ‘ _ bing _ ’. “Where do you think we should start first?” Roy prompted.

Ed shrugged. “You said we are just going to ask him.” He looked down, biting his lip. “Why would someone steal something that stood out as much as a sword? If it was sold off, someone would take notice of it. Especially if it had the family name carved into it.”

“Exactly.” 

“So…” 

Roy pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket. “This is what we’re going to do. I’m going to ask him if he’s seen a sword like this one. Heymans is probably going to deny it right away considering that he knows us. But you’re going to ask again.” 

“Me?” 

Roy nodded. “In a calm voice too. Don’t demand it. Just ask him. Watch for a pause.” 

Minutes later Roy and Ed arrived at a door with the letters spelling out Breda, Heymans on the frosted glass. Roy opened the door and nodded at the secretary. “We are here to see Mr. Breda.” 

“Detective Mustang?” 

Roy nodded. 

“I’ll let him know you’re here.” 

He could almost hear Ed’s gulp and see the sweat drip from the young man’s brow. 

“Roy!” The two looked up to see a heavier fellow with bright red hair grin at the two of them. He had this wide grin on this face, as if he’d just won the lottery and a warm booming voice. He sounded and looked like he could take the attention in any room. However, Roy knew he wasn’t dumb. The man held himself with confidence and even in a fistfight, Roy imagined that Heymans would be hard to overthrow. It was going to be the same in conversation. “Jean told me you’d be coming. How can I help you?” 

They followed Heymans into his office where Roy took a seat. “We are actually looking for a particular sword.” 

Heymans laughed and leaned back in his office chair. “I haven’t seen a sword lately.”

“No,” Roy shook his head and handed him the picture. “I mean,  _ a sword _ .”

The two watched as Heymans shook his head and handed the picture back. 

“I deal in art, Mustang. Not swords.”

“Swords can be considered an art piece,” Ed piped up, his tone casual as he continued to look around the room with fascinated interest.

The office was very minimalist in regards to furniture, however colourful and bright artworks covered the walls. There were so many dotted everywhere that it drew focus away from the boring black and white furniture. 

Heymans’ eyes flicked to Ed’s for a second as he regarded him. Roy forced himself not to smile as he caught the corner of his eye twitch.

“They can,” Heymans replied carefully. “However, not in my line of work.”

“What’s that?” Ed asked, pointing towards a photograph of Heyman’s and another man shaking hands, holding a sword between them. Roy assumed it was at some kind of auction.

Heymans eyed Roy more carefully this time. “So, a sword, huh?”

Roy nodded. “If you wouldn’t mind giving us a moment of your time.”

“Looks like I don’t have a choice,” Heymans chuckled as he raised his hands in surrender. “I wasn’t lying though, I haven’t seen a sword coming through lately. There’s been no chatter of one and no accounts of anything like that,” he nodded towards the photo.

“Nothing at all?” Edward asked.

“I’m not lying to you, Kid.”

Roy caught Ed huff out the corner of his eye, so took charge of the conversation. “That’s not why my partner was implying, Heymans. We’re just curious.”

“I’ve seen nothing.”

“Okay. If you do, could you give me a call?” Roy handed over a business card. 

“Who’s it for?”

“The Armstrongs.”

Heymans whistled low. “Then it really is important.”

Roy shrugged. “I don’t know the significance of it. It’s just some really old sword. An easy job to tide us over for a while.”

“Work slow?” Heymans asked conversationally, but Roy knew he was fishing.

“Not at all. We’re just taking small jobs here and there while things are quiet.” He caught another photograph on display on the wall behind Heymans. It was him standing with Olivier, Alex, the oldest son, and the Armstrong family patriarch, Philip Gargantos Armstrong. Honestly, some people just made it too easy for Roy. “I notice you appear to be quite close with the Armstrongs.”

“I have been,” Heymans replied carefully. He was guarded again, but he shouldn’t show off so much about his clients. “In the past.”

“So you would know if something of theirs showed up on the market somewhere?”

“I would, yes. That family inscribes their name on everything,” he chuckled, relaxing his shoulders. “Makes it very hard to sell sometimes because items can be traced back to a very powerful family.”

“Let me know if anything comes up,” Roy stated, standing from his chair. Ed followed suit shortly after him.

“I will, Roy. And you take care, all right?” He wondered if this was considered a threat, but his open and earnest eyes led Roy to believe this sword really was more important than they all thought.

“It’s just a sword,” Roy chuckled. “It will turn up in a week or so. Or it’s been misplaced in the house somewhere by one of their servants,” he joked. “It won’t take long, but we’ve got to cover all the bases, I suppose,” Roy sighed. 

“I hear you,” Heymans laughed. “Especially for the rich. They expect miracles from nothing.”

“Always. Thank you for your time, Mr. Breda.”

They said their goodbyes and it wasn’t until they were outside the building that Ed finally spoke.

“So he really has no idea?”

“No,” Roy shook his head. “Even if we are private detectives, he’s a businessman, and moving items is important. It’s likely he’ll look for a client anywhere. Plus, if he’s as close with the Armstrongs as his photographs indicate, he’ll probably want to help. Whether that's for a future favour or out of personal curiosity, I don’t know, and I really don’t care.”

Roy slid into the driver’s seat of the car and started the engine.

“He really does like to show off, doesn’t he?”

“He’s prolific,” Roy shrugged. “And he’s good at what he does. Clients coming in and seeing that caliber of items displayed proudly will make them more likely to put their trust and requests in him. It’s all strategy.”

Edward nodded thoughtfully. His fist came to rest underneath his chin while his elbow rested by the car window.

“And you have a good eye,” Roy commented. “Well done for spotting that photo of him and the sword.”

“He made it easy,” Edward dismissed.

“That was my thoughts exactly,” Roy chuckled. “When we get back, could you head out to some pawn shops and do the same as what we did with Heymans?”

“Me?” He sounded surprised.

Roy nodded. “I want to run up a list of possible interviews with the people who were at the party now that we have slimmed down the chance of it being moved into the black market.”

“As in… me. By myself?”

Roy nodded again. “You’re slow on the uptake for a supposed genius,” he snickered.

“Hey,” Ed narrowed his eyes, affronted by his comment. “Maybe if I’d been given more work like this before I wouldn’t comment on it.” Where before he would have snapped at Roy, now there was just a tiny bite to his words. It was justified, but it was also progress. He wasn’t yelling at Roy, so it was a start.

“We’ve all got to start somewhere,” Roy reminded lightly.

“Yeah, yeah,” Ed muttered. “But still… thanks,” he muttered.

Roy grinned to himself. “Any time, Partner.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and the plot moves forward! hope you liked it :D we're both really excited to start getting into our story and can't wait to share where we're going! any thoughts (or guesses about where it will go ;D)? let us know! see you for the next one and thank you for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy and Ed do some more interviews, and Roy goes on his first official date with Riza!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys!! hope you enjoy chapter 4! things are starting to pick up a little bit now!

He was like a damn teenager going on his first date. Roy’s hands shook with excitement as Riza walked into the coffee shop and joined the line. She never looked up at the menu, just kept her eyes on her phone, and occasionally looked down the line in front of her. With her eyebrows drawn together, she looked slightly troubled. Only once did she catch his eye, and Roy offered her a wave. Her expression relaxed as she rolled her eyes playfully and smirked, waving back.

It was later than usual when she arrived. Roy had kept an eye on the time, feeling anxiety creep up his spine in the fear that he would have to cut their coffee date short to get to work on time. However, when he received a smile and a wave blew all of Roy’s concern for the time out the water. He didn’t care about watching the clock anymore, now that she was here.

Riza collected her coffee from the cashier and made her way over to him about five minutes after she arrived. At least she was open to joining him. He’d tried to think of a plan to try and buy her coffee for her, but they’d arrived at different times and she’d joined the queue right away. There was no way to strategically organize it, so Roy was disappointed he couldn’t buy her what he offered the last time they met. Still, undeterred, Roy vowed to himself he would the next time… If there was a next time. 

“Good morning, Ms. Riza,” Roy greeted when she sat down. He immediately noticed how she sat with such form and modesty. She took a sip of her coffee as if it was already a part of her. It was so smooth, practiced, and natural. She was the essence of beauty and form. Maybe he was just biased because he’d let his hormones run rampant, but out of all the women in the cafe, he was only attracted to the one in front of him. The slight smile of her lips was just as alluring as the first time he saw it. 

“Morning, Roy,” she chuckled. “Ms. Riza is far too formal.”

“Alright then,” he agreed. Damn, he couldn’t keep this silly smile off his face. He was sure he looked dorky and maybe even childish.

“How are you today?” Her voice was soft and smooth like cream as it washed over him. 

“I’m well, thank you. Yourself?” He tried his best to not stutter. 

“Yes, I am too. Thank you.” Her smile was soft and warm as she stirred her hot drink. The edges of the smile grew and his heart beat double-time. 

“No canine friend with you today?” Roy asked. He looked outside, half expecting to see her dog tied up to the fence outside. “What was his name? Hayate?”

Riza shook her head. “I can’t take him into work.”

“Ah, that makes sense. What do you do for a living?”

“I’m an accountant for a private firm.” It was a simple answer. He didn’t expect she’d be an accountant. The way she held herself, he would have actually expected to hear that she owned a business. 

Roy nodded. “I bet that’s fun,” he joked. He had Rebecca for most of his accounting. When he did have to do it, and he did when it was payday, numbers bored him. The thought of doing it for a living only made his head hurt. 

“Numbers are easy,” Riza dismissed. “The people… Well, that’s an experience to say the least,” she laughed to herself. She actually laughed. “What about you, Roy? What do you do?”

“Private detective work.” He shrugged, trying not to make it into something to brag about. He didn’t want any of this conversation about himself. He just wanted to know everything about her. 

Her eyebrows lifted. “That sounds much more exciting than being an accountant.”

Roy shrugged. “It can be. Sometimes we get exciting cases. Others,” he snickered. “Are about finding family heirlooms.” He rolled his eyes and took a drink of his coffee. 

“Do people lose things a lot?”

“Rich people do. I once had to find the family dog. The poor pup had been missing for a week.” 

Riza let out an ‘aw’, instantly invested in his story. Maybe he could talk about himself for a moment...

“Turns out he was simply in outside, running about. No one had bothered to check there. He was having a grand time out there.” He chuckled. “I’m sure it’d been running all over and no one noticed.” 

“Poor dog,” she sympathized. 

“This one is about finding a sword, of all things,” Roy laughed. “A sword, in this day and age. The owner carries it too, every day. Weird, right?”

Roy’s amusement fizzled out slightly when he noticed Riza’s eye twitch slightly. She paused, gripping the handle of her cup for longer than was necessary, then brought it up to her lips. “A sword is a very strange item,” she commented. Her eyes lifted to his.

“It is very weird,” he smirked. “But I don’t pretend to understand the minds and decisions of the rich people in this world. It would take an age to try and figure it out and frankly, I don’t have the energy.”

Her expression relaxed and she nodded. “I hear you,” she muttered.

“So, you’re working today?” She’d already mentioned it, but Roy suddenly felt a very strong urge to direct the conversation away from this topic for now. He didn’t like the way her smile had disappeared.

Riza opened her mouth to reply but Roy’s phone loudly went off inside his pocket, interrupting their conversation. “Sorry,” he apologized with a cheap grin. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen, seeing Ed’s name pop up. Roy pressed the power button, ending the call. “Sorry, what were you saying?”

“I -”

They were interrupted again by Edward calling Roy’s phone. Sighing, he picked it up. “Sorry, this will just take a second.”

Riza chuckled. “Of course.”

“Hey, Edward,” Roy greeted, trying not to clench his teeth.

“Did you just hang up on me?” He almost yelled into his ear.

“No. I’m busy.”

“Well, so am I,” Ed griped. “I’ve got the list of people we need to interview, I’m just waiting for you to arrive so we can go.”

“Go over what you found out yesterday and put it in a report instead,” Roy replied distractedly. He’d made the mistake of glancing over at Riza and words evaded him as the sunlight hit the back of her head, illuminating her in a golden light. He was lost to it. She tilted her head just slightly and smiled understandingly. 

“I have. I did that in half an hour.”

Roy frowned and checked his watch. Oh shit! He was late! 

“Oh, right. Okay.”

“You just realized you’re late, didn’t you?” Ed didn’t sound impressed.

“No, just got caught up in something,” Roy assured him. Whoops. He hadn’t intended to let the morning run away from him. “I’ll be there soon.”

Edward snorted. “Yeah, whatever. Just hurry up.”

“I’m really sorry,” Roy stated sheepishly, turning his attention to Riza. “I have to go.”

“That’s okay,” Riza reassured him. “Work calling you away?”

“Yeah, sorry.” 

“Don’t apologize, I completely understand. You seem to be a busy man, Roy,” she smirked as she took another drink of her coffee.

“Just today,” he laughed. “Can… Can we do this again? I’ll make sure I’m not working early next time.”

She glanced at him over the rim of her cup and he felt a shiver run up his spine. “I’m afraid I’m just as busy as you most days,” she sighed.

“Next Friday morning, then?” He didn’t want to wait another week but if that’s all he would get, then he’d take it.

“Or you can stalk me at the park sometime during the week.”

Roy’s face fell and she laughed at his expense. “That - That wasn’t -”

“I’m kidding,” she soothed. “Next Friday should be doable. I’m not so busy on Friday mornings.”

Unfortunately, with this sword case, plus all the other cases he was managing, it seemed Roy would be busy most mornings. Still, it was something!

“I can’t wait,” he grinned. “See you next Friday.”

* * *

The room was perfectly air-conditioned, but the young man next to him still had a bead of sweat dripping down his temple. Roy watched under his black hair as Edward adjusted his shirt collar. It was a surprise that Ed was already in a collared shirt and wearing a suit jacket when he got to the office. Roy was so impressed, he decided to forgo harassing him about his lack of a tie. However, the young man had absolutely no experience in politicians. As far as Roy knew, Edward actually hated most politicians. Yet, he still insisted on coming to this interview. 

“It’s okay,” Roy whispered as he crossed his legs and looked through a magazine. “We’re just here to say hi.” 

“I’ve called most of the people on the list,” Ed said as he wiped his sweaty hands on his pants. “Most of them didn’t even remember Olivier there, let alone a sword. What does this guy have to do with anything?” 

Roy didn’t look up from his magazine, flipping the page as he responded. “He was there. Also, he’s the kind of man I’d expect to know something about it, or at least have heard some chatter through the grapevine. He has connections.” 

Ed turned, gritting his teeth. “It’s Senator-” 

He lifted his hand to stop Ed. “I know who he is. But he’s on the list.” 

“The Senator will see you now,” the lady by the large door ahead of them announced. 

Roy tossed the magazine to the side and stood up, adjusting his suit. “Showtime,” he snickered. 

Senator Raven met them at the door, quickly reaching out to shake Roy’s hand with a gentle smile. “Detective Mustang,” he greeted. “I’ve heard great things about your work.”

Raven was tall, wide-shouldered, with grey hair. It was just longer than a military cut, gelled and formed perfectly as if he was ready for a picture at any moment. The dark blue suit was forming, showing his stature as a symbol of success. A pin of the Amestrian Dragon pinned to his jacket even seemed perfectly placed. 

Roy laughed and shook his hand firmly. “Not great yet. Still in the works.” 

“Well, nonetheless, I’m happy to help you succeed.” He turned to Edward. “And you are?”

“Edward Elric,” Ed introduced, reaching out. Roy could see the firmness in the shake, just as he’d advised. 

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Elric.” Waving the two in, Senator Raven sat carefully in his seat. “Can I offer you a drink?” 

Roy raised his hand and chuckled. “We’re not hoping to stay that long.” Roy brushed some dirt from his slacks. “How are you, anyway? I read in the paper that you’re quite active in …” 

“Oh? The exchange students from Aerugo? I think they have some potential. Of course, it’s good to see our two countries grow stronger together.” 

Roy nodded generously. “I was thinking the same. And engineers too! They’re smart kids.” 

“They are. As a… good person… I’m putting my foot forward to see this engineering program is funded properly, so not only Aerugo’s students can prosper, but ours can too. We should learn both ways from our countries.” 

Roy’s nod grew in energy. “I couldn’t agree more, Senator. We have a great engineering program. Aerugo recognizes it. The most we can do for ourselves is strengthen what we already have.” 

“I’m glad you see the strength in our education system, Detective Mustang. Though, I’m sure you’re not here for chit-chat,” he smirked. “How can I help you?” 

“About two weeks ago you were at a party with Olivier Armstong.” 

“Ms. Armstrong,” Raven’s smile grew. “We are great friends. Yes. Two weeks ago. That would’ve been Selim Bradley’s birthday party.” 

Ed took out a notebook and started to write things down. He was getting smarter and starting to listen to Jean and Roy more and more. Roy didn’t expect anything less from a genius.

“Well, apparently she lost her sword.” Roy leaned back in his seat and crossed his legs. 

Raven did the same, folding his hands in his lap. “Her father gave her the sword when she joined the military. Now retired, she carries it more as a symbol of her family than of her time in the military,” the older man chuckled. “She’s all about symbolism.” 

“I also know she’s a great benefactor to your political campaign.” 

“Like I said, she and I are good friends.” 

Roy loudly exhaled and nodded politely. “It went missing at the birthday party. I was hoping you could tell me if you remembered seeing anyone suspicious.” 

Raven shook his head, cupping his chin with his finger and thumb. “The party was by invitation only.” 

Roy pulled out a clean and unmarked list and handed it to him. “Anyone on here that you remember being there?” 

Looking over the list, Raven nodded slowly. “I do remember this younger kid there. He’s some foreign official’s kid. He follows Ambassador Fu everywhere. I remember him. He’s not on this particular list but Ambassador Fu is.” 

Roy hummed and leaned back in the seat. “What’s this kid like?” 

“Oh, he’s a twenty-year-old stuck up little punk, and throws his name around like it’s confetti.” Raven scrunched his nose before waving his hand over his shoulder nonchalantly. “Very immature.” 

“Anyone else that would have been sticking close to Ms. Olivier? Maybe a child running around?” 

Raven shook his head. “Most of them were Mr. Bradley’s friends. The children were on a different floor.” 

Roy didn’t flinch. He nodded slowly and reached for the list. “If you do remember anyone particular at the party that either shouldn’t have been there, or who were acting suspicious, could you let me know?” Roy reached into his pocket and pulled out one of his cards. “I’m sure you understand how Ms. Olivier is feeling about her family heirloom.” 

Standing from behind his desk, Raven accepted the card. Roy and Ed stood quickly to follow his action. “I will. I’m glad you’re on this case Detective. As I said, you’re well known for your success.” 

Roy reached out to shake his hand upon departure. “I look forward to hearing back from you soon.”

Ed put the notebook away and shook hands with Raven. “Nice to meet you, Senator.” 

As they left the office and turned down the hall, Roy put his hands in his pockets. “I don’t think he expected that…” 

Ed tilted his head. “Expected us to be there?” 

“To hear about the stolen sword.” Roy turned down another hallway. “Funny enough, he didn’t say it could’ve been misplaced and he didn’t deny seeing it.” 

“That could mean anything,” Ed argued. “He said she carried it as a symbol of her family. Of course, she would have it.” Ed waved a finger. “There weren't too many personal items in his office though.” 

Roy shook his head. “No, and he didn’t look at the list for very long…” 

Ed tilted his head. “He didn’t read the names.”

They walked out of the building and over to his car. “Have Rebecca call Ambassador Fu’s office and see if we can meet up with this kid. I think you should come to that meeting too.” 

Ed grumped. “I hate politicians.” 

“I know you do, but you’re young like this kid. And maybe he’ll want to talk to you more than me.” 

“You’re using me,” Ed accused.

“Yup.” Roy had no shame in admitting it.

They got into Roy’s car and Ed bit his lip as he looked out the window. “Raven gives me the creeps. You do know that he’s done shady shit before right?” 

Roy nodded. “They all have.” 

This case was going on too long for a missing item. The call interviews were taking too long. Roy had a dreadful feeling that the person who stole it knew everyone, but the question remained of why? Raven had enough money, he didn’t need to steal it to sell it. Most of the people on the list were wealthy. The only thing he could come back to was this foreign official’s kid. It would fit that he’d want it just to say he did it. That wouldn’t go unnoticed. Who would though? Who could walk in there and walk out with a sword?

Rebecca greeted them as the door, rising from her desk. “Good news. Jean closed the case of the affair.” She started giggling. “I love these ones! That lady was sleeping with… are you ready? She was sleeping with four other men!” 

Roy raised his eyebrow with a chuckle. “That poor man.” 

“No,” she laughed louder. “Jean said he was sleeping with his secretary the whole time, so I have no sympathy for the man!” 

Ed stood in the doorway with big eyes. “Winry would kill me if I was sleeping with anyone.” 

“Yeah,” Rebecca turned her attention to the golden-haired man. “How’s that coming along?” 

Roy wouldn’t have expected a brighter red to have existed than the hue on Ed’s cheeks. 

“It’s g-going good,” he stammered. 

Roy chuckled as he sat at his desk. He spun his chair to look behind him, seeing a large corkboard with notes and invoices on it. “Usually I find this a little old school, but it was someone who was there, and someone who knew her.” 

Ed and Rebecca turned to Roy as he stood up and started to take things off the corkboard. 

“They would have known the importance of the sword.” 

“You don’t think it's a ‘by chance’ type of situation.” 

“We’re going to find out if that’s the case tomorrow with this guy. Oh! Rebecca, I need an appointment with Ambassador Fu’s young guest. Tomorrow in fact would be perfect.” He leaned back in his chair. “We have Olivier… Senator Raven, Senator Marco, Senator Curtis…” He bit his thumb. “Ambassador Fu... “ He pointed to the empty board. “They all know each other. There is a reason for them to steal it.” 

“What about Bradley,” Ed asked. “He was there.” 

Roy nodded. “It was his kid’s party.”

“I’ll get some pictures printed,” Rebecca announced. “We can red string this by day’s end.” 

“Are you saying it’s a revenge thing?” Ed walked up to Roy’s desk. 

“It really could be. My question is: why?” 

Ed started to laugh as he turned back to his desk. “It’s a fucking sword!” 

“Language,” Rebecca scolded. 

“It’s a stupid sword,” Ed corrected himself, brushing the heavy locks of hair that bordered his face from his eyes. “Someone stole it to bring dishonor to the Armstrong family? Do you know how ridiculous this sounds?” 

Roy didn’t reply. He only looked at the empty board. He hoped in his gut that this young man of Fu’s had the sword and thought it was funny. He’d get the sword, tell the guy he wouldn’t say anything, and they’d be off. If he didn’t have it, they were going to have to find out who had it by asking why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we're always super interested to hear your predictions for what may happen, so feel free to send them our way! 👀 hope you enjoyed, and we'll see you for the next one!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy and Ed meet Ling. Roy and Riza go for a walk in the park.

Ling had insisted on Roy and Ed meeting at his apartment, which was fine if Roy knew what he was going up against. When he parked the car and got out, the apartment proved to be the whole house. It was on the river’s bank, two stories, and a large garage. The lawn was well kept, with a large tree shadowing the grass and a cherry tree on the other side by the garage. There was a silver motorcycle parked out front in the driveway as well as a black sports car. Roy had to roll his eyes. If there was ever a definition of a politician’s kid, Ling was proving himself one even before meeting Roy. Ed stared at the bike, then back at Roy, who just kept walking up to the door. He half expected a butler or some kind of servant to answer the door, but instead, the young man himself did. Ling was barefoot with dark jeans and a white t-shirt on, covered by a sports coat. He grinned ear to ear and waved them in. 

“Mustang right? Come on in!” He was cheery and almost carefree. His shoulders were relaxed and his legs walked easily as if he was inviting friends into his home. 

Roy already found Ling almost too happy. He was just a little taller than Ed, black hair pulled back with wild hairs in front of his face. He had on this goofy smile and a bounce in his step. He had nothing to hide, and it showed in the way he welcomed them both into his house without another thought. Roy noted that behaviour, but didn’t think there would be a reason to agonize over it later. After all, he was just a kid.

As they walked through the hallway, Roy noted the house was decorated rather normally, and Roy felt as if Ling’s parents were going to come out at any time. The living room had a couch and a coffee table, a big TV on the wall above the fireplace. It wasn’t ‘fancy’ by any means, but neither modest. Taking in more of his surroundings, Roy noted the large picture of the Xing capital on the wall.

“Is that your bike out there?” Roy heard, pulling him from his observations. He turned to look over at Ed. 

“Yeah!” Ling nodded excitedly. “It’s the X-3005!” 

“That’s freaking sweet!” Roy couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen Ed so happy. His face lit up like a child’s on Christmas Morning. “I was trying to get my girlfriend to let me buy the BDR-889 but she says I’m only going to hurt myself.” 

The young Xingese man laughed, holding his stomach as he did so. “All girls would say that. No! Don’t sell yourself short. The X class is where it’s at,” he gushed. “The BDRs are bikes for commuters. I will give credit where it’s due, they have great gas mileage, and they’re incredibly reliable, but they just aren’t as powerful.” 

Roy’s eyes widened as he saw the connection right away. 

“Come check out my garage!” 

And just like that, his protege and Ling walked through the house and into the garage. Slightly bewildered, Roy watched the two of them walk off without him. Roy didn’t even think they remembered why he was there, or even if he existed at all. That was fine, though. It gave him time to walk slowly through to the garage after them, and take in as much as he could about the house.

It was quiet, the boards creaked under his feet. There was Xingese music playing in the garage and he heard Ed laughing. The kitchen was full of dishes, and there was a pizza box on the counter. It was finally starting to look like a young man lived there. On the dining table, in the same room, there was a computer and several books. As Roy rose onto his tiptoes to see as he passed by, he noticed Ling was studying law, Amestrian Law. He nodded and walked down the hallway. There were more pictures of Xing, and one of Ling, and what he guessed was his entire family. There were nearly 20 people in the photo. Maybe they were his friends? There were older people in there too. Roy tilted his head as he began to wonder who was in the picture. 

“My girl Lan Fan hates it!” 

Roy raised his eyebrow. Ed was doing exactly what he needed to be doing. It’d loosen Ling Yao up just enough so that he’d talk more casually. 

Roy peered carefully into one room as he walked by, noticing that it had a few sets of weights in it. On the wall sat a few Xingese-type swords. They weren’t Amestrian at all. Leaning slightly further in the doorway, he also noticed some kunai knives. They sat more as a decoration on the wall, though Roy was curious if Ling knew how to use them. There were two mats on the floor, a mirror on the wall, and resistance bands on the floor. He nodded, his hair swaying as he returned to the hall. There were stairs on his left before he reached the garage, but Roy decided not to push his luck. He’d seen enough in his slow sweep. The house was just too clean. It was too big for just an Ambassador’s son to be living in by himself. 

“No way!” 

Roy gave in and walked the last few feet towards the garage, coming to a stop so he could lean on the doorframe. Ed was sitting on a jetski with a huge grin on his face. 

“I’m serious,” Ling nodded excitedly. “We can go out! I’ll take you anytime!”

“This weekend?” 

Ling nodded to Ed. 

“This is freaking awesome!” Ed thrust his hands into the air. 

Roy couldn’t help but laugh. 

“Even for a twenty-year-old, you have so many toys.” 

Ling laughed loudly again. “I’m eighteen. I just look older.” 

Ed’s hands fell to his side. “You’re younger than me?” 

“How old are you?” 

“Nineteen.” 

“But,” Ed blinked with a sad face. “You’re taller than me…”

The two stared at one another for what seemed like too long. Roy finally spoke. “I don’t mean to interrupt. I just have a few questions to ask, then I can let you two go back to the jet ski.” 

“Sure,” Ling crossed his arms and turned to face Roy. 

“You remember Selim Bradley’s birthday party two weeks ago?” 

“Oh yeah,” Ling nodded as he put out an arm to lean on a car in the garage. It was another sports car that now had Roy distracted. “Crappy party. There wasn't a birthday cake. There was this rich fudge stuff and they gave me a little spoon.” He pinched his finger and his thumb together to indicate ‘small.’ “There wasn’t an actual meal, just o’dourves. They were good though. And they didn’t have beer either! Usually, I don’t mind wine, but a beer would have been great since they didn’t have a regular birthday cake.” 

Roy nodded his head slowly. 

“I actually brought the kid a birthday present and didn’t even see the kid!” 

“I just wish I went to a party that had o‘dourves,” Ed commented quietly behind Ling. 

“Well,” Ling turned now to face Ed. “I was there by proxy. Ambassador Fu likes to take me so that I can learn the tricks of the trade.” He faced Roy. “To be political,” he made quotation marks with his fingers. 

Roy nodded slowly. Didn’t Raven say…

“I really didn’t want to be there. My girlfriend, Lan Fan was having a bonfire. I left as soon as I could. Bonfires have better food anyway. I think I ate fifty marshmallows.” 

Ed laughed. “That’s easy.” 

“Next bonfire,” Ling pointed his finger at Ed, challenging him. “You are on!” 

“Okay,” Roy interrupted calmly as he raised his hand. “So you left…” 

“Yeah. That was that.” 

“Did you see a sword?” 

Ling scoffed. “No.” 

“You didn’t see a military sword?” Ed clarified. 

Ling shook his head. “I would’ve been all over that.” 

Roy nodded and sighed loudly. “I’m guessing you’re not one to show off swords of all kinds?” 

“The only real sword is from Xing,” Ling laughed loudly. “Sabers are of Amestris. I think you also have a few rapiers, but Aerugo traditionally fights with rapiers.” Ling took a fencing stance and acted as if he was fencing. The young man was very amusing, and free talking. 

“You don’t want an Amestrian sword?” 

“A saber? Naw,” Ling snorted a laugh. “I’m from Xing. What would I do with a saber?” 

“Just to show off. I saw your work out room. You have some nice swords on the wall.” 

Ling nodded. “But you don’t see any saber -” he stopped and his face became serious. “Are you insinuating that I stole something of King Bradley’s?” 

Roy chuckled. “Maybe…” 

“No, Man.” Ling shook his hands in front of his face. “Stealing is low. I’m the Xingese President’s son! I do not stoop that low. In fact, I’m offended that you even insinuated it!” 

“No offense meant,” Ed quickly called from behind. “We just have to ask. We were asked to find it and were hoping you knew where it was.” 

Ling shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t have it. I ate a few of those fancy finger foods and left.” 

“No sword?” Roy asked seriously. 

Ling shook his head. 

“I’m sure you hear quite a bit, being in and out of official offices.” Roy reached into his pocket. “Will you call me if you hear anything, anything at all?” 

Ling shook his head and put his hands in his pockets. “Not my thing, Mr. Mustang. It’s not my property, not really worried about it.”

“Can you give me a call,” Ed asked, walking up next to Ling. 

“Yeah, le me get you my info and we can go out tomorrow or Sunday and ride some waves!” 

Ling and Edward pushed past Roy and into the kitchen. He nodded with a grin.

Ling was as innocent as they could get. But a frown soon followed on Roy’s face. Now the investigation was getting deeper than a stolen sword. He walked to the front door and leaned against it, hearing the two young men exchange contact information. It was obvious that Senator Raven lied about it being invitation only, and it was Bradley’s house. He scratched his cheek in thought. 

“Are you going to see King Bradley?” 

Roy turned to see the two walk from the living room to the entryway. 

“It was his house. Oh! I have tickets to this dinner they are having. The Bradleys like to entertain, but they are so annoying.” Ling dropped his head to the side with a groan. “They talk too much. Anyway, it’s some fundraiser for exchange students… or something like that. I have no idea. It’s invitation only. You should go! Maybe you can talk to someone there!” 

“Will there be the same crowd there?” Ed walked next to Roy. 

“Mostly. Maybe more.” Ling ran over to the mantle and grabbed two letters from it, handing them to Roy. “That will get you in. Free fancy food and wine!” 

“Thanks!” Ed raised his hand and the two high-fived. 

“See you Saturday!” 

Roy opened the door. “Thank you for your help, Ling,” Roy called as he walked out the door. 

They walked calmly to the car, Ed trying not to jump in excitement too much and remain professional. Roy could see right through it.

“You did really well in there,” he complimented. 

“Huh?” Ed opened his door. 

“Just… Good job.” 

“What did I do?” 

Roy just grinned and got into his side of the car. “You did everything you should’ve done.” 

* * *

A headache was beginning to form fairly quickly in Roy’s head. He’d spent too long looking at the same photographs, with his mind going into overdrive, trying to write up motivations for possible suspects. His eyes drooped as he looked at his computer screen, typing up the last thought he had so that he didn’t lose it. Even that felt like an extreme effort. Hitting period, he sat back in his chair, defeated at the moment. This was taking too long. Everything felt unorganized and he had no solid lead yet. He hated it. He needed results, he needed  _ something  _ to go on, he needed…

“I need a coffee,” he muttered to himself.

A good boost of caffeine would fuel him for the rest of the afternoon. Rebecca and Jean were already out on their lunch. Edward had left to do the same shortly after the couple, mumbling about going to meet his girlfriend, Winry. Roy had been adamant he’d work through lunch and try and get a solid lead by the end of Friday afternoon, but that goal was slowly becoming impossible. Admitting defeat and locking the office door, Roy made his way tiredly to his car.

Although there were two coffee shops closer to the office than Metric Coffee, Roy felt he needed some  _ good _ coffee for his lunch break in order to get him through the rest of the day. Plus, they did delicious doughnuts. He could use a doughnut. 

He pulled up across the street in his car and parked. As he crossed the road, his heart leapt in his throat as he spotted a familiar-looking dog outside. He faltered in his step before picking up his pace to almost jog to the cafe. Feeling flushed, Roy pushed open the door, as his eyes instantly searched for a familiar blonde head. Despite the excitement, he reminded himself that there was more than one Shiba Inu in Central.

Looking down the line, he didn’t see her. Riza wasn’t at any of the tables either. His face fell, and he sulked as he moved to the line. She wasn’t here. Roy exhaled loudly, feeling disappointment wash over him.

It was short-lived. To his left, he caught movement out the corner of his eye, slightly behind him. The door to the customer toilets opened, and Riza walked out of it. She turned, making sure the toilet door closed softly, before shouldering her purse more securely, and moved to join the back of the line. She didn’t see him, he was too far up the line, and she didn’t seem to be paying much attention to her surroundings. She was dressed in what had to be her work clothes, wearing a simple white blouse and black dress pants. A black cardigan covered her shoulders, which looked light enough that it wouldn’t be too warm to wear in the summer heat, but would also protect against the gentle breeze outside.

Roy took a step forward in the queue, momentarily distracted. His emotions whiplashed as excitement coursed through him. He opened his mouth to call out to her, but promptly closed it. If he didn’t say anything, he would be able to buy her a coffee like he’d offered to.

“What will it be, Sir?” the server asked politely.

“A black coffee, please.” Indecision ruled him for a moment before he grinned with confidence. “And a caramel latte as well, please.”

“Of course.”

With both drinks in hand, he walked towards her, unable to keep the grin off his face. Noticing movement out the corner of her eye, Riza looked up from her phone. Her eyebrows had been drawn together again, a deep frown on her face as she studied the contents of her phone. However, her expression relaxed as their eyes met, and a smile spread across her face in a way that made Roy’s heart skip a beat.

“Hey,” he greeted. It was like he was welcoming a long lost friend back into his life, that’s how happy he was to see her. 

“Hello, Roy.” She glanced down at the drink he’d extended to her. “What’s this for?” She looked slightly confused at the offer, but still looked happy to see him.

“I did say I would buy you a coffee,” he reminded her. 

“You did,” she agreed dryly. “That was very kind of you.” She took the drink from him carefully but their fingers still brushed, her fingers slipping alongside his. Roy felt a jolt go through his hand and he tried to hide his breath stuttering and the way his hand flinched at the electric sizzle of their connection. He kept his eyes on her drink and ignored the strong urge to look up to see if Riza had a similar reaction. Instead, he heard a sincere, “Thank you, Roy.” He glanced up at her face this time, noticing the softening smile gracing her features.

“Don’t mention it,” he beamed. His fingers were still tingling after brushing against hers, a feeling he relished. Roy slipped his free hand into his pocket, making a fist as the warmth there continued to spread through his hand.

“You got my order right as well,” Riza commented with a raised eyebrow. “I’m beginning to think you really do stalk me,” she smirked.

Roy held up both hands in surrender. “I’m not. I promise,” he urged. “I overheard you order it the last few times and I took a wild guess of what you might like today,” he joked.

“I’m kidding, Roy,” she laughed, patting his shoulder playfully. Her smile reached her eyes as she grinned at him. “Listen...” Riza turned to look outside to where her dog was waiting patiently for her. “I’m going to take a walk to the park with Hayate on my lunch break. Do you want to come?”

“Yeah, of course!” He was ecstatic. She’d offered him the chance to accompany her and he wasn’t going to turn it down. Riza eyed him for a second, clearly amused by his enthusiasm, but Roy didn't care. His headache was very quickly dissipating and his mood was rising exponentially. He hadn’t even realized he’d forgotten about his doughnut.

So, the two of them walked to the park with Hayate, each sipping at their hot drinks. They crossed over the street into the shade. Every so often there would be a break in the buildings and the sun would pour through, turning her hair golden. Roy felt as though he was caught in a trance every time he noticed the change in colour. That was his downfall because she must have felt his eyes on her. Riza looked over and found him staring. A light dusting of pink covered the bridge of her nose and her cheeks as she looked away. He felt embarrassed for gazing at her so openly so he coughed nervously, tearing his eyes away.

“Do you always walk Hayate on your lunch break?” Roy asked.

Riza nodded. “I do. My apartment isn’t too far from my work, so I go home and pick up Hayate to let him out for a while.” She glanced down at the pup. “I don’t like leaving him home alone all day.”

“He seems to be a very well behaved dog,” Roy commented, watching Hayate sniff at the ground as they walked. 

“He is. I hit the jackpot with his temperament. He’s the calmest dog I’ve ever met.”

Hayate would stray off towards something that caught his interest as they walked, but wouldn’t pull or walk too far from Riza’s side. His tongue lolled happily as he explored the world, curiously looking up at people who passed by them. Every time someone showed some interest in the dog, his tail would begin to wag.

“That’s good then,” Roy considered. “Especially if he’s home alone quite a lot.”

Riza agreed. “It certainly makes things easier. I haven’t come across him destroying anything yet while I’m at work,” she chuckled. “But I like to think that he knows better than to try a stunt like that.” She tilted her head forward, narrowing her eyes playfully at Hayate.

Hayate barked in response, walking closer to Riza’s side and remaining there.

They arrived at a crossing, so stopped as they waited for traffic to stop. Roy noticed Hayate heeled perfectly without any need for a command from Riza. Across the road, the greenery of the park stretched out before them.

“I normally take Hayate to the dog park instead of walking around the park itself,” Riza explained. “It means I can let him off the lead and not worry too much about where he will wander off to.”

“Is he a wanderer?” Roy smiled.

“Hm… He likes to explore.” Riza glanced down at her dog affectionately. “And can get a little hyperactive if he finds something really interesting. But he always comes back.”

The park was busy. Like them, there were business people sitting on benches and chatting as they enjoyed their lunches. A couple of cyclists passed by them, giving poor Hayate a fright. He jumped and scurried close to Riza’s side as they walked towards the dog park. Riza stopped in place, crouching to soothe him. She smiled kindly at her dog, explaining that it was just a bike that had given him a fright, letting out a short laugh. From her tone, it was like a mother talking to a child. It endeared Roy to her even more.

Again, he was caught staring, but this time Roy grinned at her as Riza straightened and they continued to walk.

“Poor dog,” Roy commented. Hayate still stuck close to Riza’s side as they walked, head looking around for any more potentially frightening things coming his way.

Riza shook her head fondly. “He doesn’t like cyclists.”

The dog park wasn’t too busy, but there would be plenty of dogs for Hayate to play with if he decided to venture their way. People were walking around the path inside the fenced-off area. Owners sat at the various benches spread around the park while their dogs either sat obediently by their side or running around and playing with other dogs. Riza crouched and let the Shiba off his leash, giving him a free run of the park. Anywhere he went they’d be able to see him. Riza was happy to let him go off and do his own thing.

“I normally sit for a while as Hayate runs around for a bit.”

“Sounds like a good idea,” Roy agreed. It would give them time to finish their drinks. Roy didn’t have anything to eat, but he could always pick something up on the way back and eat it at his desk. It was only then that he remembered about his doughnut quest. He felt he didn’t need it now though. Talking to Riza was a better remedy than any sweet treat.

From her purse, Riza pulled out a prepacked sandwich and began to unwrap it. She glanced up at him expectantly. “Do you have anything to eat with you?”

He shook his head, lifting up his coffee cup. “This will fuel me for a little while.”

“You should still eat,” she frowned. Looking over her shoulder, Riza turned to look for something. “There’s normally a food van around the park.” She turned back to face him but looked past his shoulder, still searching. “I don’t know where it is though. That sells hot food.”

He appreciated the effort, but reassured Riza he’d be fine. “I’ll pick something up on my way back to the office.”

“Are you sure? We can walk around and look -”

“I’ll be fine, Riza. I swear,” he chuckled. His expression softened as she met his gaze. “I promise, I will eat. I may be a bachelor but I can still look after myself,” he smirked.

“Good.” Riza relaxed. 

He hoped offering up some more personal information about himself would steer the conversation towards getting to know each other better. Riza had been a mystery to him for so long that he was eager to learn more. From what he already knew and had witnessed, she endeared him. Even as she ate her lunch, she took dainty bites of her sandwich and met his gaze while they spoke, but every so often she would glance away to check on Hayate.

“So, will it be a busy afternoon for you once you go back to work?”

Riza shook her head. “It’s a Friday and work can slow right down in the afternoon. However, I do have some reports due for an audit soon.” She shrugged. “It’s easy enough, just a lot of paperwork to trawl through.”

“I hear you,” Roy replied.

“Will it be a late one for you?”

Roy grimaced. “Probably. I think I’ll need more coffee later,” he laughed. “But I don’t mind too much. I get intrigued easily by cases and often fall in deep if they’re good.”

“And your co-workers don’t mind working late?”

Roy shook his head. “They’re not required to do overtime. I wouldn’t ask them too either unless they were really interested in a case, so they’re free to go whenever they want to. I’ll probably just order some take out later and eat it at the office.”

“I’m lucky then that I don’t have to work late at the office.”

“Would anyone mind if you did?”

She offered him a wry smile. “Someone is fishing,” Riza snickered.

Roy was confused by her comment, then his eyes widened. “Oh no! No, that’s not what I meant,” he stammered. “I meant, if your friends would mind if you worked late. It’s a Friday night, after all. Surely you have some big plans?”

She chuckled, shaking her head. “No. I’ve got no plans this evening. I foresee a large glass of wine in my future while I sit on my couch with my dog.” She glanced back over to check on Hayate. He was busy chasing a large labrador.

“I’m surprised,” Roy replied. “I mean, that kind of night in does sound great…” He wished he had a plan like that for this weekend, but duty called. “But I would’ve thought a pretty lady like yourself would have grand plans for the weekend.”

Her cheeks turned a light pink and she dropped her gaze with a smile, observing her sandwich and picking at the wrapper. Roy grinned to himself, enjoying how beautiful the light blush looked on her cheeks.

“No grand plans,” she replied.

“Okay then… Well, what would you say to dinner sometime then?” he ventured.

She lifted an eyebrow. “So you were fishing then?”

“That’s for me to know,” Roy smirked.

“And for me to find out?”

“Come to dinner with me, and you might find out,” he quipped. He wasn’t desperate, it was an innocent offer, but he couldn’t rid himself of the jolt he’d experienced when their fingers brushed together earlier.

“Hm, that’s a lot of effort just to try and find that out,” she hummed, lifting her cup to take a sip of her latte. Riza looked at him expectantly after her light challenge.

Roy’s stomach dropped. “Lunch then?” he asked.

Riza regarded him quietly, then her expression softened. “I can’t do lunch any time soon.”

Roy’s face fell, but he nodded in understanding regardless.

“So, I guess, dinner will just have to do.” Her eyes twinkled with amusement as she spoke.

The widest smile spread from ear to ear across Roy’s face. “Great! I mean, great. Good. I know it’s short notice, but how about tomorrow?”

Riza cocked her head to the side in thought. “Tomorrow should be fine.”

“Where do you want to go?” Roy asked eagerly.

“Nowhere uptown,” Riza shook her head. “Anywhere else… Will be fine.”

Uptown… Roy nodded. He could do that. He didn’t particularly enjoy that side of town either. It was too fancy for his tastes, and his wallet. Simple meals were far too expensive, and after his week of dealing with rich people and their associates, Roy was more than ready to just unwind and go somewhere simple with good food.

“It’s a date.” Excitement and happiness coursed through his body.

Riza laughed quietly at his statement and glanced down at her paper cup. After a brief second, she looked back up at him with a small but entirely genuine smile on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We love Ling. He's such a fun character. And Roy and Riza!!! OMG! They are totally going on a WAHT!? Hehe. Don't worry, Roy will make it worth her time. He's been waiting long enough for it, right? 
> 
> Let us know what you think! We have really enjoyed your theories and your thoughts. Thank you for reading! See you next weekend!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy finally goes on his first official date with Riza!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! And to think I almost forgot about it! It's the chapter we have all been waiting for. I hope it's as good for you as it is for us! Enjoy!

“You’re practically bouncing on the spot,” Jean smirked. His chin was tilted up towards the ceiling, but he angled his head so he could poke fun at his partner.

“I am not,” Roy replied with a frown. He was sitting in his desk chair, one leg lifted so his ankle rested on his other leg’s knee. With both hands forming a steeple in front of him, a pen between his fingers, Roy regarded Jean as he was made presentable for his night out.

“That heel of yours that’s tapping out a little tune begs to differ.”

There was a free pen within Roy’s reach, sitting atop a stack of papers. Roy was half tempted to throw it at his partner’s head.

Rebecca snorted as she fixed her boyfriend’s tie. “Leave him alone,” she scolded lightly, gently but firmly tugging the accessory towards her so Jean focused his attention on her. “He’s got a crush and, all joking aside, I find it quite adorable.”

Jean guffawed.

“Shut it, you two,” Roy grumbled. “I remember you both fawning over one another. I had to mediate that hell. And I am _not_ bouncing on the spot.” He forced his restless leg to remain still. He unhooked his ankle from his knee and placed his foot on the ground.

“But it’s fun,” Jean shrugged. His chin was back reaching up towards the ceiling.

“And you called us getting together ‘hell’?” Rebecca frowned.

“I was the messenger,” Roy reminded them. “I had to pass messages and notes along to you both when your desks are only three feet apart.” Roy pointed to each of their desks with his pen to prove his point. “That was hell for me.”

“Well, I thought it was very sweet of Jean to send little messages like that for me,” Rebecca replied haughtily, but there was a smile on her face. “It was very romantic.” She patted Jean’s tie down but left her hand on his chest. He’d had his hands in his pant pockets as he waited for his girlfriend to dress him. He was freshly shaven, aftershave and all, and a fresh haircut. Her touch drew his chin down to look at her. Rebecca moved up onto her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to Jean’s lips.

“Not for me,” Roy muttered, looking away from their exchange.

“You’re just bitter because you’re lonely,” Jean laughed.

“Aw, but he’s not lonely anymore!” Rebecca cooed. “He’s got himself a little crush. I knew there was a girl from the coffee shop! Don’t you doubt my observational skills again,” she added, lightly pushing Jean’s shoulder.

“I never would, Dear,” Jean murmured. His hands left his pockets and wrapped around her back. In a tight embrace, he kissed her passionately.

Roy was sure they were doing it just to irritate him, so Roy pretended he was being sick. Very loudly.

“Bitter,” Jean replied, sticking out his tongue at his partner. He pulled away from his girlfriend and retreated to his desk to pick up his suit jacket he’d draped over the back of his chair.

“Not bitter,” Rebecca interjected. “Maybe jealous? He did bring me flowers.” Rebecca gasped, pressing a hand to her chest. “Am I going to be stuck in the middle of a love triangle with two attractive men?” Her excitement was real as her eyes sparkled.

Roy snorted at the same time as Jean protested quietly, mock hurt in his tone.

“You wish,” Roy muttered sarcastically. “Anyway, steering the conversation in another direction before Jean decides to punch me.”

Rebecca snorted, muttering to herself about how easy it was to wind them both up.

“You know what the plan is?” Roy prompted. He stood from his chair and grabbed the tickets he’d laid on his desk earlier. He walked straight over to Rebecca to hand them over, trusting her with them more than Jean.

“Ask around about the sword, if we can,” Jean replied as he shrugged on his jacket. “Casually, of course.”

“It helps that Olivier was well known for carrying the sword. If we can bullshit our way into acting like we belong in those circles, I don’t think anyone will question how we know about the sword,” Rebecca interjected. “We can just comment on how she always has it, and it appears to be missing it tonight.”

“I don’t see any problem with that,” Roy replied with a nod. “Go with that. Act like you belong.” He shot Jean a look. “That might be hard for you, country boy,” he snickered. 

“I’ll keep him right,” Rebecca whispered loudly, her expression filled with pity for her boyfriend.

“I can go home right now,” Jean threatened. “I’m getting harassed in the workplace,” he joked dramatically.

“And leave the two of us to go instead?” Roy asked, lifting an eyebrow. He took a step closer to Rebecca with a smirk. Roy offered Rebecca his arm, which she latched onto eagerly. “After I bought her those flowers?”

“Okay, maybe I _will_ punch you,” Jean retorted with a scowl.

Rebecca’s head tilted back in a loud laugh as her hand slipped from Roy’s arm. “Oh, lighten up, Jean.”

“What’s the rest of the plan?” Roy asked.

“See if anyone knows anything about the sword or listen in case we overhear anything.” Jean continued on with his explanation and there was no hint of anger or irritation at their banter apparent in his tone or expression. “Lay down the bait -” Jean lifted up the bracelet Roy had bought that afternoon and waggled it carelessly. “And see if anyone picks it up. Question them if they do.”

The bracelet was a beautiful piece of jewelry Roy had picked up from a store in the rich part of town that morning. As he perused all that was on offer, he noticed the prices with dismay. The bait would have to be believable, and he could ring it up as a business expense, but it didn’t mean he had to like it. That money could be put to good use elsewhere in his business. Rebecca hadn’t turned her nose up at it but had said bracelets weren’t really her style when he’d revealed what she’d be wearing for the night. However, perhaps it could be a gift for another lady in his life, further down the line… He didn’t want to admit that as Roy had looked over the jewelry that morning, he wondered how some of them would look on Riza’s wrist. But he was getting way too far ahead of himself.

“And where does having a good time or an actual date come into this?” Rebecca chipped in.

“Nowhere, after your earlier comments,” Roy smirked.

She pouted.

“We’re both still working, however, we need to make it believable,” Jean smirked, waggling his eyebrows suggestively at Rebecca. She grinned back, offering up one of her hands so they could high five each other.

“Free dinner and a free bar? Sounds like the perfect night to me!” She whooped.

“ _And_ you’re still working,” Roy reminded them. “No getting smashed on the job.”

Rebecca pouted again. “You’re no fun, Boss.”

“Come back here afterward and we’ll get some drinks.”

“You don’t anticipate your date going that well then, do you?” Jean snorted.

“For your information, Jean,” Roy replied, gritting his teeth. “I am the perfect gentleman. So yes, I anticipate coming here afterward.”

“Married to the job, huh?”

“No,” Rebecca interrupted, coming to Roy’s defense. “He _is_ a gentleman. And that’s very respectable of you, Roy.” She nodded to him, her comment sincere.

“ _Thank you_ , Rebecca,” Roy stated sincerely. “Some of us were raised properly, and weren’t raised by wolves,” he snickered, jerking his head towards Jean.

“I was not raised by wolves,” Jean protested childishly. “I believe I was raised in a barn,” he deadpanned.

Roy laughed at Jean’s expense instead, but that didn’t phase him.

“No, Sweetie,” Rebecca cooed. “You’re perfect.”

“Thanks,” he beamed.

Roy rolled his eyes. “Go to your fancy dinner. You’ve got work to do.” He shooed Rebecca out from behind her desk. “Have you definitely got the tickets?” He couldn’t remember seeing her pocket them after he handed them over.

Rebecca patted her purse. “Got them in here.”

“Good. And bring that bracelet back, okay? Even if someone does take it.”

“Aye, aye, Sir,” Jean saluted while Rebecca smacked his arm playfully.

“We will, Roy. Don’t worry, okay? Forget about this case for a bit and go and enjoy yourself,” she encouraged with a smile. “Forget about the red string and go and show this girl a good time. We’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

“Be careful, alright?” Roy dropped all jokes and banter as he bid them farewell, his words earnest as he urged them to be safe.

“Don’t worry, Chief,” Jean smirked. “I wouldn’t let anything happen to my girl.”

Rebecca snorted. “As if _I_ would be the one who needed protection. How many times have I had to drag your sorry ass out of a mess, Jean?”

“None recently,” Jean protested.

“None while we’ve been dating, but before that?”

Jean muttered to himself and Rebecca shot him a smug look. She turned back around to face Roy. “Enjoy your night! No red string in that brain of yours, alright? Make sure it’s just Coffee Shop Girl up there.” She reached up to tap his temple lightly.

“Go, Rebecca,” Roy chuckled.

With a grin, she tugged Jean out the door. Roy didn’t miss the excitement on her face. He didn’t think they’d ever been on a date of this scale before. They weren’t poor by any means - Roy paid his employees very well - but high-end parties weren’t their scene. Roy didn’t doubt that, even if it was for work, it would still be an exciting opportunity for them both. Plus, a date with free fancy food and expensive cocktails? That would be a win in anyone’s book.

He shut down his computer then Roy walked around his desk to turn the office lights off. Locking the door, he felt his own excitement begin to course through him. He had a date with Riza! A silly grin spread across his face as he turned away from his office. Twirling the keys around his fingers once, he then tossed them in the air and caught them with confidence.

It was time for his date.

* * *

For whatever reason, Riza had been very explicit about not meeting her at home. She insisted that she’d meet him at the edge of their park, by the fountain. It was still light outside, barely 7 pm. It would have been earlier if Roy didn’t need to see Jean and Rebecca off too.

She’d also insisted on them going casual. Roy snickered as he remembered her saying, ‘I’m dressed up all day. If we’re going downtown, let’s go casual’. So there he was, parking his car, adjusting his leather jacket over his dark blue polo shirt. Running his fingers through his hair one more time, Roy started towards the park.

He saw her first too. Casual or not, she was gorgeous. Her hair was cascading over her shoulder and her brown eyes were looking away from him towards another couple walking through the park. She was in light jeans, hugging her hips perfectly, and a casual t-shirt with tan jacket on. It almost looked like a rain jacket, which was sensible as it was supposed to rain, and the cool air confirmed a storm moving in. However, none of that mattered as soon as her eyes met his. His grin widened tenfold and he waved nervously at her. He’d been on so many dates, but this one made him feel like it was the first one. His palms were sweaty and there was a frog in his throat. The nervous tap of his fingers on his leg would give it all away.

“Hey,” he greeted, trying his best to act like what he thought looked normal. 

“Roy,” she greeted. 

“I hope you didn’t wait too long.” 

She quickly shook her head, her slanted bangs swaying gently. “Only a few minutes.” She looked around. Downtown was busy as it was every Saturday night. “You insisted on it being a surprise, but where are we going?” 

Roy waved over his shoulder. “I know you didn’t want fancy, but there’s this seafood place.” He stopped, turning his head to look at her. “You do like seafood right?” 

Riza could obviously see his anxiety as she laughed and patted his arm assuringly. “I do. Are you talking about Norton’s Sound?” 

“Please tell me you like it.” He smiled nervously. 

“I do. Have you had their red salmon pasta?” 

Roy shook his head. “No, but their grilled rockfish is pretty good for being in a landlocked country.” 

She grinned, grabbing his elbow. Roy’s heart skipped a beat. It really did skip a beat. “Let’s go then!” 

He let her hold onto his elbow, unsure if he should fold his arm to be more formal for her holding onto him, or shove his hand into his pocket like a nervous 14-year-old. His whole body felt hot even with the evening breeze that threatened them to pull their jackets closer. They weaved gently through the crowds, her eyes watching everyone as they passed by. 

“So, you work for a firm,” he began, trying to break the ice. “What firm?” 

“A big one,” she answered easily, breezing past his question. “What’s it like being a P.I.?” 

“Boring,” he snickered. Roy could have sworn he was sweating. 

“How’s that special case coming?” 

“Oh,” his free arm scratched the back of his neck. “It’s coming along.” He turned to lead her down a street. “Sorry for the boring work talk,” he smiled guiltily. “I’m sure the last thing you want to do is talk about work”. 

“It’s fine,” Riza giggled. “It’s a good way to break the ice.” 

Roy gulped, feeling relaxed at the way that she just waved his worries off his shoulders. “Tell me what you like to do on your time off.” 

She let go of his arm and he resisted whining out loud. “I like to cook. I’ve recently started taking these cooking classes.” 

“Don’t tell me you’re going to critique the food tonight,” Roy joked. 

“I promise I won’t. I’m not good at seafood yet. But I can make a decent stir fry, and I can also make a roast that will knock your socks off.” 

“We should have gone to your place for dinner,” he smiled gently. 

“I used to craft, but it got to the point that I had too many projects going on at once. So, I decided to stray from that until I get a bigger place.” She turned to look up at him. “What do you like to do while not looking into mysteries and puzzles?” 

He shrugged. He really didn’t do much but work. Maybe Jean was right, he was married to his job. When he wasn’t at work, he was sleeping, and his eating habits were just as bad as his hobbies. Still, he searched his brain for what he would do if he had a decent day off. “I take pretty ladies out.” Oof. That hurt. He grimaced as soon as he finished speaking.

“Popular, are you?” 

Roy stopped walking, quickly waving his hands in front of himself in a frantic way of trying to defend himself. “No! No, that’s not what I meant. God, that sounded so bad. I..um...” He rubbed his face at his own embarrassment. “I’m married to the job,” he groaned. “I don’t really do much more than stress over red yarn and emails. So, it’s nice to go out with _you_ , now. That's what I meant.” It was a poor excuse for a cover-up. 

Riza tilted her head. “There has to be something you like to do.”

Roy bit his lip. “I used to go fishing.” He smiled sheepishly. 

“Fishing is nice,” she agreed quickly, starting back at walking down the sidewalk without him. “I bet after a long week, that’s very relaxing. Do you have a boat?” 

Roy took a few long strides to catch up to her. “No. I used to have waders and I’d just jump in the river, but I haven’t gone in almost a year.” 

He saw her frown. “I’d like to learn to fish. You should teach me sometime.” 

She was taking this faster than he thought. They’d only known of each other for just under a month. Maybe Riza was just that comfortable with him? Roy didn’t know, but he wasn’t going to make more of a mystery out of her. It was a date, and he’d make sure to not _interview_ her. 

They walked to the steps of the restaurant and Roy quickly opened the door for her. Norton’s was packed, being Saturday and all, but Roy had been smart and called ahead for reservations. Plus, it made him look organized and fancy. She led him to the stand, patiently waiting for the greeter to see them. 

“Welcome to Norton’s Sound. How many?” 

“Two,” she answered quickly. 

He looked at his charts. “It does look like I have about a 10-minute wait.” 

“I have a reservation,” Roy announced gently. “Under Mustang.” 

The man smiled. “And you are right on time. This way please.” 

He hadn’t requested anything special, but they got a seat next to the window which would be nice. They could look out and see along the river, a few people and dogs making their evening strolls along the river. 

“This is nice,” she commented as she sat down. He ‘d reached for her seat but she took it too quickly. Roy squinted slightly at her, upset that he wasn’t able to get her chair for her. “I used to come here more often when I was younger.” 

“The specials today is our scallop fettuccine with a white rosemary sauce, and a raspberry braised veal with Aerugo potatoes and vegetables,” the greeter announced.

“Oh,” Riza grinned. “Thank you.” 

“Bread?” 

Roy nodded, wishing the man would go away. Though the service was better at Norton’s, he was more looking towards spending time with Riza than anything. The dimmed lighting created a shine of her brown eyes and he started to notice the specks of a light oak color. She dropped her head to look at the menu, humming as she skimmed through it. Roy wasn’t even interested in the food. He’d get the veal just to make it easy on himself. But there was no conversation. He instead wiped a hand on his pants and swallowed. What was he supposed to ask? He wasn’t even sure anymore. There had to be some conversation in order for this to be a date right? 

“I should’ve brought my conversation cards.” Riza sighed, breaking the tension. Apparently she felt it too. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, just a lull in their conversation, but Roy did feel a very strong urge to try and fill the quiet space. 

“Those are fun,” he quickly agreed. He tapped his chin, dropping the menu to the table. “How long have you had Hayate?” 

Riza put her menu down, settling her hands on it. Her full attention was aimed at him as she answered. “He’s actually a rescue. A friend found him in the rain one day. I went over to drop some things off and he had him wrapped up in a towel. It was love at first sight.” 

“That’s amazing,” he leaned on the table. “Did you want a dog?” 

Riza teetered her hand side to side. “I thought I’d eventually get one, but it wasn’t something that I was looking for at that moment.” 

“He’s a very good dog.”

Roy listened as she went on to account stories of the dog’s puppyhood and how Hayate was a sock thief to start with. Apparently, Riza had some patience because the dog was so well behaved every time he saw him. Hayate never pulled on the leash, heeled perfectly, and sat down when she stopped. Even while at the dog park, when Riza whistled, he stopped what he was doing and made his way directly to her. “How did you get him trained so well if he was so mischievous like that?” 

“Love,” Riza snickered. “I wasn’t sure what it was…” She laughed, going on again. Roy listened with every word being forever ingrained in his heart. “Do you ever want a dog?” 

Roy nodded. “I do actually. Believe it or not, I’ve been looking for the last year. I’m waiting for something to pop out at me.” 

“I can see you with an Amestrian Shepard.” Riza leaned on the table. “Something big and police like.” 

“That wouldn’t be too bad,” he nodded. “What would I call him?” 

“Chief,” she giggled. 

“I’m Chief,” he laughed. “My co-worker would say it and we’d both look his way.” 

“That’s perfect then!” 

He ordered the wine, a dark red since she was getting a honey glazed red salmon. He buttered a slice of bread and offered it to her, listening to her talk about her latest adventure in the West. She was quite adventurous, seemingly unafraid of taking risks. She’d gone horseback riding in the high mountains and was thinking about taking her next vacation in South Aerugo to scuba dive. “I want to see a whale.” He wanted to take her there. Maybe he was getting ahead of himself again, but he wanted to take her there, sit on the beach, and watch the sunset. His mind was getting away from him as he thought about - 

“Do you normally get weekends off,” he said, trying to instantly distract his running devious thoughts. 

“I do. My boss is kind like that. Do you get weekends off?” She sipped her wine. Roy could see the slip of her lips along the rim, making him salivate. Her lipstick, something he was now noticing because it was so subtle, didn’t smear on the glass. 

“Well, technically I own the company,” he clarified.

“So you are the Big P.I.” She raised her eyebrow with a smirk.

Roy shook his head. “Just trying to get by.” 

“With a case like a missing sword, you are just getting by.” 

Roy leaned back in his seat and laughed. “It’s becoming more than a sword. I can’t give you most of the details, but it’s hard to pinpoint where and who lost a sword when it was at a party.” 

“Seems like a simple thief just walked off with it.” 

Roy raised a finger. “But who would want a silly thing like a sword when everyone is invited?” 

Riza nodded carefully. “It has to be someone who either knows the client and doesn’t like them, or they don’t know the client and doesn’t know what they are getting into.” 

“You realized you just named everyone at the party, right?” Roy crossed his arms and looked out the window. 

“I will work weekends with you,” she offered jokingly. “This sounds way more fun than what I do.” She swirled the wine in the glass. “Is it Mr. Mustard with the candlestick in the parlor?” 

Roy laughed loudly. “Colonel Custard in the library,” he said as he reached for the wine bottle to top her off. “Colonel Custard likes shiny things.” 

“Maybe the sword has some significant purpose,” Riza squinted and rubbed her chin. “Like it opens a secret door that leads to a treasure.” 

He continued to laugh. “I’m sure it does when you consider the owner.” 

Riza’s grin remained, even as the dinner came out and was placed in front of them. “Well, I personally think that the sword has some significant purpose to be stolen.” 

“Or it’s a collector.” 

“Did you check the black market? Maybe it’s worth something.” 

Roy shook his head as he cut off a piece of the veal. “The people at the party are pretty wealthy.” 

“Doesn’t mean they aren’t greedy.” Riza sighed. She slowly put a piece of the salmon in her mouth, chewing it slowly. 

Roy’s heart couldn’t be pumping any faster. She was clearly teasing him. She was controlling the whole situation. “If you could steal something, what would it be,” he asked, taking a sip of the wine. It was making his stomach warm. 

“That’s vague,” she put another piece of salmon in her mouth. “Anything?” 

“I think I would steal a painting from the National Archive.” 

“Why?” 

“How can you? You just walk out with a big picture under your arm? I gotta give myself some work to do if I’m going to be investigating it.” He set his fork down.

“Not a sports car?” 

Roy shook his head, snorting a laugh. “My co-worker Edward might. But knowing him, he’d steal some info online and hold it hostage.” 

“Is he a hacker?” 

“He’s good enough to be.” 

“So you hack people’s information?” 

“Now I think it’s you that’s fishing,” Roy took a drink of his wine. “To clear things up, I run a reputable detective agency. I don’t steal information.” Roy leaned back in his chair with a confident grin. “I’m smart enough I don’t need to.” He tapped his temple.

“Find a sword then,” she chided. She took a deep breath, ignoring the hurt look Roy wore. “I guess I’d just rob a bank,” she shrugged. “Go right to the source.” 

“Such a typical answer for an accountant.” 

Riza raised her eyebrows with a slight smirk. 

As the dinner ended, Roy offered dessert, but Riza declined. “The night doesn’t have to end,” he insisted. “It’s still early in the night.” He looked at his watch. “We could walk down to Silver Spoon and get some ice cream, or go bowling.” He started to laugh. “Somehow I think you’d kick my ass at bowling.” 

“Oh I would,” she boasted, grabbing his arm. “But Hayate needs his evening walk.” 

Roy wasn’t going to push the issue. He knew he needed to be back to the office before midnight. He wasn’t sure when Rebecca and Jean would be back. Knowing them, he’d go back and they’d return at 2 am or something like that. Jean would be sloshed, and Rebecca would have hauled him into the office and dropped him unromantically in his chair. Or, she’d leave him a note on his desk and they’d head to one of their places to finish the night. 

“One last question,” Riza announces quietly as she stopped him. “How would you find out more about me?” 

Roy blinked. 

“You know, if you wanted to know more about me?” 

Roy bit his cheek as he thought about the right answer. “I’d just ask,” he replied simply. 

“Then, what would you want to know?” 

Roy continued to chew on his cheek as he looked towards the fountain they’d met at. Thousands of questions flooded his mind. He could ask any of them. Where could he send her flowers? Does she live in an apartment or house? What’s her type of man? Did she even want a relationship, or was she doing this for just fun? Did she want to go to his place? Did she want him to go to hers? Would he see her again? Would she do this again with him? 

Finally, he turned and smiled. “What’s your favorite color?” 

Riza laughed loudly, turning so that they could look face to face. The light highlighting her features like her cheekbones and the accents of her lips made his fingers itch to touch them. 

Would she kiss him? Could he kiss her? 

“And if I told you, how would you know if I was telling the truth?” 

Roy wanted to push her up against the wall behind her, kiss her passionately until her questions in his head ceased. He wanted to feel her body under his fingers, hear her moan… but he was the gentlemanly type, Rebecca was right.

“You have a dimple,” he replied simply. “I’ve been watching it. You smirk like that when you are being funny. Like right now, I can see it,” he pointed to it. “All those jokes you were telling, you smirked as I laughed.” 

The dimple increased. 

“If you lied, you’d give yourself away. It’s like poker. You just have to wait for the tic. Sometimes it’s keeping their hands in their pockets because they’re uncomfortable, other its tapping a finger on a desk because they’re irritated. Most of the time it’s the avoidance of eye contact or a serious eye contact like they’re overcompensating. My favorite is when someone leans back in their chair, furthering themselves from you because they want to be further from the truth.” His voice got lower and lower in tone as he stepped closer to her. “But we’re not far away,” he murmured. “So you’re going to tell me the truth.” 

“Purple,” she whispered. 

Roy leaned down, going halfway to test the waters. She lifted her head, ready to meet him, while her hands gently found placement on his arms. He had stopped breathing, but he didn’t notice. The sweet smell of the wine lured him closer. His hands reached up to cup her face - 

Someone passed them, hitting his shoulder and knocking him away from her. Roy looked up to see the person keep walking as if nothing happened. When he looked back, the moment was lost and Riza turned from him, coughing lightly. He had the right mind to go and punch that guy for taking such a romantic moment from them, but he was still in the presence of a lady and would resist his urges. 

“I have to go,” she sighed loudly. “Will I see you at Metric?” 

“How about Monday?” 

She pulled her purse on her shoulder. “I have to work early on Monday. I’m sure I’ll be there early on Wednesday. I would love it if you met me there. We can sit down and you can tell me if you found the secret key to an underground treasure.” She winked at him. 

Roy nodded slowly, feeling almost defeated. “7 am?” 

“I’ll be there.” She reached out, patted his shoulder, and turned to walk away. Roy watched her leave, still debating about finding the guy who bumped them. After a few seconds, he turned and walked towards his car. Wednesday would not come fast enough. Now he was going to have to pull his mind from her lips and to what Jean and Rebecca discovered. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awww right? Cute little date between the two of them! They are perfect for each other right!? We now need some little detective royai babies. Erg, there I go, getting ahead of myself. 
> 
> The art is courtesy of @caesurables on Tumblr! You need to stop by and check out her art. She's absolutely fabulous and we are so honored to have her art in our fic. Stop by her page and check it out!
> 
> Don't forget to let us know what you're thinking here. We have really enjoyed all your own theories! We can't quite tell you if you're right though... not yet. Someone.. might... be... Y'all should be going and reading Emma's works! (Maybe you can put your own red string theory together!) Anyway... before I get you sniffing up the wrong tree, we wanted you to know that we appreciate each and every one of you! More than you can ever know! Thank you for the kudos, and the comments, and even just stopping by to check us out! You give us such great happiness. 
> 
> Much love to all of you! We hope you stay well!
> 
> *Runs back to youtube for more silo videos* (Which is Stacy's theme today)


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jean and Rebecca attend Bradley's dinner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Slight shift in perspective for this chapter because we get to see Jean and Rebecca go all sneaky sneakerson at Bradley's dinner! this part was super fun to write and we both worked through this one together which was exciting!! that was a great afternoon.
> 
> As always, after you guys read it, we would be super interested to see what you guys think regarding what's happening with the case
> 
> hope you enjoy!

Roy left most of the lights off in the office as he sat at his desk. He could barely concentrate, but he was going to still be there when his co-workers returned. He put the radio on to fill the background and he answered a few emails. The printer fire case was still open, and he was almost ready to send the information to the client, but his arm itched to send Ed to the East and have him get some things down in that area. He would’ve normally gone, but Ed could take Winry and he could basically give them a night away. Roy couldn’t step out now. Olivier had called a few days prior and was asking the status of the case. It was urgent, she insisted. It had been going on for too long. He might have gotten it done sooner too if Riza wasn’t always on his mind. 

Roy turned in his seat and blinked at the pictures on the wall. He couldn’t just go up to one of them and accuse them, especially with who they all were. Because Olivier had chosen to not go to the police, that did place some significance on the item as well. But the question still begged to be answered: Why? With proper motive, Roy could narrow anything down. Stolen cars? Cheating spouses? Even blazing printers, the question always had been “why?” Who benefits from an old sword? 

Ling would have it as a trophy, however, he was cleared rather easily. When asked about the sword again, Olivier gave the same description, telling him to “use your eyes and look at the damn picture” in what he realized was her traditional short-tempered tone. Her patience was running thin before, he didn’t want to imagine her in another two weeks. He needed to focus on this and get it taken care of in the next two weeks. It was a stolen sword! How hard did this have to be? 

He might as well have taken down the wall of suspects. None of them had any reason at all for a sword. Bradley was a wealthy businessman in the mining industry. It wasn’t even a status symbol for him, let alone something he’d put on his mantle. He’d just have one made out of the gold he mined. Senator Raven was mostly caught in his lies, but again, what use would a sword be to him, let alone an Armstrong sword? Senator Marcoh was at the party. As innocent as he looked, he had to be taken into consideration. He teetered his head side to side as he looked at Governor Kremlin’s picture. He was a shady fellow, and when Ed called him, his staff basically told Ed that it was a waste of his time and hung up. Roy squinted at that photo. Ambassador Fu… He couldn’t forget State Representative Shou Tucker. Roy bit his lip looking at him. Not only was he completely dismissive, but he was also hard to get a hold of. There still was no clear reason behind it. Roy nodded slowly. Yoki owned one of the more prominent real estate businesses. Last he heard, Yoki’s business was having trouble with a few bad investments, and his office was full of weird antiques. Roy pointed to Yoki’s picture, tapping on it. He’d have to go back and check his office again to see if anything else seemed off about it, or better yet, have Jean have a go with him. 

Then there were also the other hundred people on his desk spreadsheet. Ed had called most of them just requesting simple information but there was nothing suspicious. Even the head of security, who only went by Scar, had not seen anything suspicious. Roy grumped. If he were a good detective, he’d find Scar’s real name. Maybe he’d do that as a side project once this was done. He was tempted to go walk around the Bradley property. Olivier probably got drunk and lost it in a bush. 

The front door creaked open and Roy turned in his chair. It was nearly 1 am. “Have fun?” 

Jean walked in with a cigarette hanging from his lips, sighing heavily. Rebecca behind him reached for the smoking stick between his lips and tossed it outside. Both looked beat. Jean’s tie was already loosened, and Rebecca slouched in her dress.

“They know how to party,” she groaned. 

“Was there a lot of dancing?” Roy joked. 

“No,” Jean shook his head. “The food was good, and the drinks were great, but once we started talking around… it was just a lot.” 

Roy leaned his hip against his desk. “Please tell me something that will make my Sunday morning one I will want to remember.” 

“Don’t tell me your date wasn’t good,” Rebecca pouted for him. 

“It went really well, but she cut it short.” 

“Uh…” Jean grimaced. “Sorry man, it’s not in your cards.” 

“She said she had to go take care of her dog.” 

“Ouch.” 

Rebecca shoved her boyfriend. 

“We did almost kiss,” Roy added as he lifted a finger with a slight grin. “Then some fucker had to come along and bump us.” 

“Bump into each other?” 

“No,” Rebecca slapped Jean with the back of her hand to his shoulder. “Almost kissed. That means they didn’t.” 

Roy shrugged with a heavy sigh. “But she said she looked forward to seeing me Wednesday morning for coffee, so I didn’t blow it, right?” 

Rebecca reached down to take her heels off. “I think you’re onto something,” she giggled. “Don’t give up hope quite yet.” 

Jean shrugged as he reached into his jacket pocket for another cigarette. “We did get some interesting details though. You’ll want to hear this.” He placed the cigarette between his lips, patting his chest for a lighter. 

“Jean!” Rebecca grabbed it from him and tossed it in the trash. 

“Damn it, Woman! I haven’t been able to smoke all night!” 

“It was just interesting,” Rebecca added. “Politicians sure have ambitions.” 

“They all stink,” Jean grumped. “They’re all damn rotten bastards.” He leaned against Rebecca’s desk. “Making my girl stand all night while they go on about selling themselves.” 

Roy raised his eyebrow at the two of them. 

Rebecca collapsed in her desk chair and spun it to face Roy. She ran her fingers through her hair. “And they talk. Talk about gossip!”

* * *

Jean smirked at the doorman as they approached. The man was in a full outfit, better dressed than Jean himself, with a bow tie and a tailcoat and bright white waistcoat. It looked like it was straight out of a period piece and Jean expected nothing less from a social gathering of this caliber.

They had to look the part, so Jean ensured his suit would be acceptable. His jacket and pants were all black, but his shirt was a baby blue color. His navy silk tie complimented the shirt nicely, and also matched the colour of Rebecca’s dress.

Sneaking another glance at his girlfriend, Jean admired how stunning she was, and watched as she fished the tickets out from her purse as they continued forward. One of her hands was on his arm, so he gripped it a little tighter and gave it a squeeze to give her some more stability as she looked in her purse.

“Invitations, please,” the man requested. His tone wasn’t bored, but he also didn’t sound particularly thrilled to be there either. From what Jean could see and hear, the party was already in full swing inside. Music from a string quartet wafted their way through the open door, accompanied by the sound of conversation. It wasn’t too loud, but the murmur indicated there were a lot of people inside. If he’d been stuck on door duty when the action was inside, Jean reckoned he’d be a bit miffed too.

Rebecca lifted her head, tossing her hair over one shoulder and smiled at the greeter. Jean’s breath caught in his throat as he watched her. The dress she was wearing was a deep navy blue, clinging to all the right places. It stopped mid-calf, showing off her toned legs as she stood in her heels - a blue that matched her dress. The skirt swayed gently as she moved and it was hypnotizing. Just like her. He hadn’t been permitted to see what she was wearing before tonight, she’d just sent him a picture of the tie he would be wearing and told him to find a suit to match it. And boy, was he knocked off his feet as soon as he set eyes upon her. He was still trying to recover.

The man stamped their tickets and wished them a good night, already waving to usher the couple behind them forward.

Sharing a look, Jean and Rebecca stepped inside the lion’s den.

The main room was beautifully decorated. There was a noticeably clear theme tonight, and that was gold. All decorations had a hint of gold to them. The countless vases of flowers that were spread out everywhere were full of white and gold hydrangeas. Even the white flowers had flecks of gold glitter sprinkled over them. There were four ice sculptures designed in the shape of man, one in each corner of the room, each wearing a golden sash across their torso. Jean seriously hoped they weren’t modelled after their host. He wouldn’t put it past King Bradley to go as flashy with something like this.

“Over here.” Rebecca tugged on his arm and guided him over to the bar. Getting a drink right away sounded like a good idea. Looking around the room, Jean thought he would need some alcohol to get through a night dealing with these people. Rebecca ordered a strawberry daiquiri while Jean went with a rum and coke. There was no beer here, to his dismay. He had to blend in anyway and hard alcohol would loosen him up. 

“Oh boy,” Jean muttered over the top of the glass, immediately taking a sip. He glanced around the room one last time, already mentally preparing himself for trying to mingle with these people. While he would absolutely love to treat Rebecca to a fancy date like this, perhaps he would reconsider that idea. A night where he and Rebecca lay on a picnic blanket somewhere quiet with some beer and good food was a lot more appealing than this song and dance.

“I know, right?” Rebecca snickered. “This will be interesting.”

“I’m just excited to do some snooping,” he grinned. “People watching will be fun tonight.”

“I agree. Work first, then we can have some fun later,” she whispered in his ear with a suggestive look as she walked away from him. Jean followed behind like a lost puppy.

Confidently, Rebecca strode towards a group of ladies all talking together. Jean watched as she boldly introduced herself. She turned and introduced him too, causing him to close the distance between them as quickly and gracefully as he could. Rebecca was a natural in a situation like this. She sounded as fake as the ladies before them, but they ate it up. Jean knew she liked to gossip and was sometimes how he and Roy got some of their information for cases. She was an expert at finding out the word on the street. Rebecca Catalina had a way of getting words out of people so easily that it could be frightening.

Jean plastered a fake smile on his face as he wrapped his arms around his girlfriend’s shoulders. He’d spied some men making eyes at her out the corner of his eye and didn’t like it. It reminded him of his own job and kissed her cheek to part ways, whispering a promise of meeting up with her again later.

Meandering around the room, Jean spotted a familiar face he could easily talk to. Representative Falman. He’d worked with him before and Jean had a lot of respect for the man. All his work was done by the book and to the letter, with the best interests of the people in mind. Plus, he was always friendly.

“Mr. Havoc,” he greeted. It wasn’t unfriendly by any means. His tone was dry as one corner of his mouth lifted up into a smirk. And Jean appreciated the fact Falman had left out his work title. “It’s good to see you again.” Holding out his hand, Jean shook it firmly.

“Likewise, Mr. Falman.”

He waved his hand in the air. “Just Vato or Falman tonight, please,” he replied. “It’s bad enough my presence is required here.” His voice was quiet, so no one overheard him, but it caused Jean to laugh. “Let’s just drop the pretences.”

“Not a problem.”

“You’re behaving yourself I hope?” he inquired.

“I always do,” Jean quipped. “When do I not?”

Falman snorted, but it just made Jean grin. 

“I’ve got my lady here with me tonight.” Jean glanced over towards the group she was still talking to. If the ladies’ animated and excited expressions were anything to go by, Rebecca was excelling in her work tonight. “So she’s keeping me right.”

He hummed to himself. “I sure hope so.” A pointed look was shot Jean’s way.

In response, Jean lifted his hands up in surrender. “Of course. All of my motivations are completely innocent. I’m just here to mingle with Central’s best.”

Falman shook his head with an amused smile. “Central’s best?”

Jean cocked his head in thought. “Elite, then. That’s probably a better word choice.”

“Well, one thing’s for sure, they certainly know how to throw the most extravagant parties,” Falman mused.

“Definitely,” he agreed. Jean cast his eyes around the room. “Everything is very… gold. It makes me wonder where they get the money for such fancy decorations.”

“Careful where you cast that thought, Havoc,” Falman warned. He took another sip of his drink, looking subtly around him.

Jean just shrugged. “I’m just thinking out loud. There’s no harm in that.”

“True. Bradley has more than enough money,” the Representative murmured. “Although…” Falman trailed off, glancing around once more. “If he didn’t send so much money to a particular Senator, maybe he wouldn’t need a fundraiser for this program and for his other projects out in the west.” Another pointed look was shot Jean’s way as Falman took a sip of his drink.

“Oh?” Jean asked innocently. If there was some kind of strong connection between Bradley and this Senator, this could be useful information for their case. It may not be, but if Falman was willing to part with it this easily, Jean wasn’t going to turn it down.

However, someone called for the room’s attention, ending their conversation for now. The strings stopped playing and a sea of heads turned to face the source of the interruption. A man who was dressed like a butler announced from the opposite end of the room that dinner was about to be served in the dining room and asked if all guests could make their way through there.

“It was a pleasure to speak to you again, Havoc,” Falman stated. He held out his hand for Havoc to shake, which he did so as he hid his disappointment. The announcement had come at such an inopportune time. 

“Likewise, Falman. I hope to speak to you soon.”

He hummed in reply. “A little bird tells me we may cross paths in the future.” With one last pointed glance at Havoc, Falman moved away from him, heading towards the dining area.

Bird… Senator Raven. It could be a stretch, but from Falman’s clues, Bradley could be contributing towards Raven’s campaign or his other special interests. The information about the west must be important. If it was, judging by his hushed revelation and quick exit, Representative Falman was taking a risk with a comment like that. Jean noted it and shelved it for later. He knew better than to press further than what Falman would freely give him. 

Mulling over this new information and what it could mean, Jean walked over towards Rebecca. She was still talking to the same group of women.

“Oh, you must come and find us after dinner,” Jean heard as one lady gushed. “I would love to speak to you some more!”

“Of course,” Rebecca replied brightly. Jean tried not to laugh at her fake smile. “I can’t wait!”

Despite her more common way of speaking, the ladies weren’t phased. They smiled and dispersed, going off to find their significant others so they could be seated.

“You got them wrapped around your finger? That’s impressive,” Jean commented.

“They’re probably bitching about me behind my back already,” she snickered. “I purposefully didn’t play up the snooty attitude or accent. They were sympathetic because of it.”

“Yeah?” Jean asked as he scoured the board in front of him to see where they should sit. He didn’t see their names anywhere.

“There,” Rebecca pointed out softly, seeing the kid’s surname, Yao, by two seats. “And yeah. I clearly wasn’t born into money if I’ve got a more common way of speaking, so they take pity on me. They let their guard down,” she shrugged.

Jean just stared at her as she walked ahead.

“Have I mentioned how incredible you are,” he murmured lowly in her ear. He caught back up and reached for her hand, gripping it tightly.

Rebecca giggled next to him. “Not recently, but I won’t be opposed to hearing it again,” she teased with a twinkle in her eye.

“Just wait until later then. I’ll show you,” he almost growled.

Rebecca laughed quietly to herself. “Later? At the office?”

Jean simpered. Roy was going to be at the office. He’d have to wait even later than that. 

The rest of the seats at their table began to fill up quickly, the guests eager for their dinner. Rebecca sat to Jean’s left, while six other people began filling in the spaces around. The centrepieces of the circular table were just as beautiful as the ones outside in the main room. However, these flowers were white, sprinkled with gold flakes. Little golden beads covered the table as a decoration, adding a splash of colour to the plain white cloth beneath it. While simple in looks, it felt rich to the touch. The silky texture ran through Jean’s fingers easily.

Once everyone was seated, the same butler from moments ago called the attention of the room to him. “Ladies and Gentleman, King Bradley.”

Bradley rose from his chair as people applauded. Jean and Rebecca shot each other a look, then quickly joined in. King Bradley was a formidable-looking man. He was tall and stood straight. His posture made him look taller than he actually was. He commanded complete attention, and the majority of the people in the room were eager to give it. With one eye covered by an eyepatch, his gaze was hard as he looked around the room, noting with interest all the faces he saw. He didn’t so much as glance in Jean’s direction, or towards their table.

“Thank you everyone for coming tonight. With this dinner, we aim to fundraise enough money for an engineering exchange program with Aerugo, so we may send some of our brightest minds to the country in return for some of theirs. This is a project dear to my heart, as well as my company’s.”

Jean resisted the urge to snort derisively. Bradley had more than enough money to donate to this cause and still make a hell of a profit by the end of it. He’d done a little digging beforehand and discovered that all the engineering students being sent were from his own company. So, he was getting his friends and other government officials to pay for only his company to benefit from the rewards. Still, rich people love a philanthropist, even a pretend one like Bradley tonight.

“With this program, we will be furthering our engineering capabilities within the country and after this test run, we may be able to open it up to other students from around the country.” He unclasped his hands from behind his back and reached for his glass. “I humbly ask if you could give generously tonight to support the next generation of engineers.” Lifting his glass, people began to clap again animatedly. “Enjoy dinner!”

Dinner itself was exquisitely presented. The portions were small, but the food was so rich that by the end of the five-course meal, Jean had eaten enough. He took a drink of the free water provided in a pitcher to wash it all down with. The water was cool on his throat, infused with a hint of lemon.

“Jean, this is Senator Marcoh,” Rebecca introduced after dinner, her eyes widening only slightly as she tried to convey that this was important. She’d been conversing with him throughout dinner, while Jean spoke to the gentleman beside him. “Did you know he’s spearheading a campaign to try and protect our green spaces?”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sir,” Jean replied. He settled in his chair comfortably so he could give the Senator his full attention. 

“The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Havoc. And yes, I am,” Marcoh replied.

“Jean is in the agricultural business,” Rebecca lied smoothly. “We’re based in the west. And… your campaign concerns the west, doesn’t it?” she enquired.

“It does,” Marcoh confirmed. “I just want to protect our environment, that’s all.”

“That’s very admirable, Senator Marcoh,” Jean told him sincerely. “And it’s much appreciated by people like myself. Agriculture cannot thrive with no land for it.”

“Exactly,” Marcoh replied. He leaned forward eagerly. “The east is well known for its farmland, and rightly so, however it's the silty soil from our border with Creta that makes the west more bountiful for a harvest. People tend to forget that. That’s why so many factories are set up in the west.” He dropped his gaze, looking slightly crestfallen. Despite their goal here tonight, Jean could clearly see that this man was deeply passionate about his job and his cause. 

“Well, you have our support, Senator,” Rebecca replied.

“Absolutely,” Jean chipped in. And he meant that sincerely.

Rebecca excused herself to go to the bathroom. So did Marcoh, so he could go and mingle with other guests. While alone, Jean looked around the room, observing people. The majority had left their seats and were moving between the other tables. Some had formed crowds and were standing in free spaces, laughing, and drinking with one another. In the far end of the room, by the door they’d entered through, he spotted Falman and Marcoh leaving together.

Bradley was still sitting at the main table. He was deep in conversation with Senator Raven. The other men at the table were all listening intently, but not joining in on their conversation. Jean narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing them. Governor Kremlin was there, with Shao Tucker and Yoki on either side of him. Those were the only people he recognized. There was no one from the Armstrong family though.

He caught movement out the corner of his eye, seeing Rebecca walking towards him. He’d been prepared to turn away, continuing his observations, but his breath caught in his throat. From the angle he was sitting at, Jean noticed how the light of the room made her hair shimmer, almost turning it copper. The simple silver necklace caught the light as she turned to her side, placing something back in her purse. As she looked back up, tossing her hair over her shoulder, her face softened when her eyes settled upon Jean. A silly grin spread across his face.

“Like what you see?” she purred after sitting down. It didn’t help his situation that she’d leaned in close with a hand resting high up on his thigh, whispering in his ear.

“Very much so,” he beamed.

“Maybe there will be time for a later,” she mused, leaning back, and giving him a once over with her eyes. She’d praised how well he’d scrubbed up earlier, but it was still nice to be so clearly appreciated. He’d made an extra effort just for her.

“Shirking work duties?” he teased.

“I meant after going back to the office.” Her eyes sparkled with mischief and Jean couldn’t wait.

He laughed, making her giggle too. “I love you,” he murmured.

Rebecca beamed and leaned in close, giving him a quick kiss.

“Hear anything exciting while I was gone?”

Jean shook his head. “Nothing. Just did some lookin’ around.”

She made a show of her shoulders slumping as she pouted. Then, she straightened her spine and rolled her shoulders back. “Ready for showtime?”

Jean nodded. “You did it?”

“I ‘dropped’ it just over there,” she muttered, angling her head away from the room so no one could see what she was saying. “I was ‘fixing’ my purse and left it on that table.”

Cocking his head, Jean pretended he was considering what she’d said, but in reality, he was looking past her. The bracelet was sitting there, next to a vase of gold flowers. It was in plain view, so he made sure to always keep that table in his line of vision.

Not even ten minutes later, a young man approached the table.

“We might have a bite,” he murmured. Leaning forward in his chair, Jean felt himself coiled like a spring. He was ready to stand and move if that bracelet disappeared.

The man took it.

“Hooked. Black hair. Glasses. Black suit. Dressed a bit like a penguin.”

Rebecca stood from her chair gracefully and turned. Her head turned towards the young man who slipped the bracelet into his pocket. He looked around, looking a little unsure of himself, then began to walk towards the entrance. Rebecca began to walk as Jean slowly got to his feet, casually pretending he was going to follow after her at his own pace.

The young man walked through a service door and Rebecca followed close behind.

“Excuse me, Sir,” she called. The guy got a fright, turning in place. Jean noted just how young he looked as he walked through the door. “You’ve got something of mine.”

“Oh, no, I -”

“The bracelet,” Rebecca challenged, holding her hand out to receive it as her other crossed her chest. She didn’t look impressed as she stared him down. “You took it.”

“No, I didn’t -” he stammered.

“You did,” Jean interrupted. His command left no room for argument. 

“Sorry!” He scrambled for his pants pocket. “I didn’t try to steal it, I promise,” he stuttered. “I saw it lying around and picked it up to put it in our lost property. I work here.”

“Sure you do,” Jean challenged, not believing him.

“Look, here’s your bracelet.” With shaking hands, the man dropped it into Rebecca’s waiting hand. She took it back and placed it inside her purse. “And I promise, I do work here. Look.” He handed over his ID.

Jean glanced at it, noting that he did in fact work there. Kain Fuery. It might be worth looking into him, just to be sure this wasn’t a fake ID.

“I always like to keep a log of lost items,” Kain explained further. “Many of them don’t seem to be missed, but still, it would be a shame for someone to lose a piece of jewelry, so I was on my way to log it.”

Jean just narrowed his eyes at him.

“Thank you,” Rebecca cut in. “So, you work for Bradley?”

He nodded. “Yes Ma’am. I’m part of the Events Team, drafted in whenever there’s a dinner or a fundraiser.”

“Were you at Selim Bradley’s birthday party a few weeks ago?”

Kain nodded. “I was. I was working the floor as a waiter that night.”

“Seeing as you're the man to see about missing items, I don’t suppose you noticed a sword passing by, did you? Or did you pick it up and log that too?”

“A sword?” he echoed. “I… I don’t ever remember seeing a sword lying around. Ms. Olivier Armstrong carries a sword on her though, perhaps you could ask her?”

“If you saw a sword like that, would you go through the same process of logging it as you would with a bracelet?” Jean asked.

He nodded. “I would. It would be recorded, but I would probably recognize it as hers anyway. There’s no one else I know who carries a sword on their person.”

“Havoc.”

Turning sharply, he and Rebecca noticed Falman standing at the doorway they’d followed Kain through. He didn’t look impressed.

“Time to go,” he stated. His tone left no room for argument.

“Give us a call if you hear about a sword,” Jean told Kain. He pressed his card into the young man’s unresisting hands and turned to leave.

“I told you to behave,” Falman warned once they were outside. The area was quiet. No one was about.

“I am,” Jean shrugged.

“You’re just lucky I saw you and no one else did,” he replied, putting emphasis on the end of his statement. Meaning Bradley didn’t see Jean and Rebecca questioning his staff.

“We were claiming a lost item,” Jean retorted, gesturing towards Rebecca who was gliding the bracelet back onto her wrist. “Kain graciously picked it up for us.”

Falman sighed. “The party is that way,” he reminded them, gesturing to his right. His arm remained outstretched, expecting them to move to rejoin the fundraiser.

Grasping Rebecca’s hand tightly, they both rejoined the party.

“He seemed genuine,” she murmured.

“I agree. He didn’t seem the type to steal a sword, let alone a sword from the Armstrongs. Too young and innocent.”

“A ruse…?” Rebecca ventured, then shook her head. “No, he didn’t look like he’d have it in him to face the wrath of Olivier Armstrong. He was shaking like a leaf.”

He purposefully steered them over to the bar. He needed another drink.

“Another one?” Rebecca commented. “We’re working, remember?”

“I know, but there’s been a lot of information overload tonight, and maybe I want to relax and spend the rest of a lovely evening with you,” he smiled tiredly. His brain was on the way to becoming fried, and he just wanted to unwind for a little while before diving headfirst back into the shark infested waters. Jean leaned his elbows on the bar and rubbed his face in exhaustion.

“It has been a lot.” She bit her lip. “And we’ve got a long way to go yet…”

The barman asked for their order, and Rebecca got herself another daiquiri and Jean a rum with coke.

“Seeing as you can’t smoke in here,” she winked, handing over his double measure of rum. “We’ll get there,” she added, her voice firm. Her hand rubbed his back, in between his shoulder blades. “You guys are good. Really good! You’ll figure it out, don’t worry.”

Jean shot her a grateful smile.

“Case first though,” she replied. “We’ll report back what we overheard and saw tonight and we’ll all go through it together. We’ll work it out.”

“And… later?” Jean asked, voice hopeful.

Rebecca smirked at him over the top of her cocktail glass. The sultry look in her eyes made his stomach flutter.

“Oh yes, there will definitely be a later.”

“Maybe,” Jean whispered, moving to stand so close he could whisper in her ear. He grinned when it made her shiver. “Later… We could...” He paused at her intake of breath and his grin turned wolfish.

* * *

Roy tipped forward on the seat hurriedly. “I do not need to hear any more of what you said to Rebecca,” he interjected.

The two of them just laughed.

“Back to this Kain Fuery, I think we should go back and talk to him. What do you want to bet that he knows but couldn’t remember at the time?” 

“He was pretty scared,” Rebecca argued. “I honestly think he was too freaked out that he got caught. He seemed earnest and innocent enough.” 

Jean nodded in agreement. “I hate to say it Roy, but I got chills when I noticed none of the Armstrongs were there. I got bigger chills when Falman was so adamant about telling me that Bradley was funding Raven. It was very hush hush.” Jean bit his lip. “I think… this could turn into something a little bit more than just a sword.”

“I was afraid of that,” Roy replied, his tone grim.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any changed opinions on who's behind it? Any new thoughts? Let us know! :D we can't wait to hear from you all
> 
> hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!! and we'll see you for the next week for the next one!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The red string connects them to the picture and Roy loses his mind

Monday morning came too soon. Sunday didn’t feel like it even existed. He’d been too caught up in thinking over this case that he didn’t manage to do much else. Not that Roy had much in the way of a social life in the first place, but most of the time at the weekend he could at least turn his brain off and unwind for a little bit.

This weekend was different. The realization that this case of a stolen sword ran deeper than they all thought was weighing on him. He couldn’t dismiss that thought from his mind no matter how much he tried to, or how much he wanted to. Too many things were being connected with his red strings, and it was looking like it would turn into a full-blown headache for him. Where had the easy job that was extremely well paid gone? Something as bizarre as a sword was breaking down his reputation, and it just made him even more determined and eager to find the damn thing.

It would have been easy for Roy to have called Rebecca and told her that Jean needed to do some investigating on his behalf so he could sleep, but it wouldn’t do him any good. It hadn’t left him alone yesterday, so anticipated it wouldn’t leave him be today either. If he was going to lose more sleep anyway, he may as well be productive with his time. Plus, he’d still be awake wondering what was going on at the office. As Jean said, he was married to his work. The blonde co-worker couldn’t be more right.

Roy’s hand hovered over his cup of coffee, staring at his computer. His baggy eyes blinked as they tried to make sense of what was on the screen. Jean was typing away as if Mondays didn’t bother him in the slightest. When he’d walked in with Rebecca earlier, he certainly looked like the cat had gotten the cream. Someone had a good weekend. Roy rolled his eye when he remembered how he and Rebecca talked about “later” when they were telling him about the dinner.

Rebecca was scrolling through what was on her screen, checking a piece of paper beside her as she went. Every now and then she’d note something down, and Roy observed her for a second, wishing he had that same level of productivity in his tired brain at that moment.

Then there was Edward, sat in his seat, with his feet on the desk and a newspaper in hand. The young man was reading away, concentrating intently on the words. His eyebrows had pulled together the more he read, developing into a deep frown. Whatever it was, Roy determined he didn’t like reading about it. And Roy never would have thought a tech-guy would like a physical paper so much, but Ed was always reading it. 

Roy wanted to say something about the feet on the desk but wasn’t in the mood for an argument, and he was sure Rebecca was going to correct it once she noticed it. He sipped his coffee and leaned over his desk. “We need a napping room,” he mumbled. 

“I’ve been saying that for years,” Jean added. 

“No,” Rebecca corrected. “You said we needed a dark room.” She never once looked away from her computer screen.

“For pictures?” Ed peeked from behind the paper. He flicked the corner down so he could see over the top.

“Hangovers,” all three of them said in unison. 

Ed nodded and went back to reading. “Not a bad idea,” he shrugged.

Roy put his coffee down and turned to look at his pictures. “I’m beginning to think that this is a joke on me somehow. That there was never a sword to begin with.” He sighed loudly and leaned back in his chair. “It’s got to be about blackmailing... a hostage… I don’t know.” He took another sip of his coffee. “What does the Armstrong family know that they don’t want us to know?” He rubbed his unshaven chin. “Why would they bother hiring me if they didn’t want to tell me everything?” he muttered darkly.

“Did you read this,” Ed yelled out, breaking the attention of everyone. “Fuckers are corrupt as all hell!” 

Roy turned to get after him about his language but Ed dropped his feet to the ground, dropping the paper to his desk and pointed at it. 

“There has been no mention of this passing until now,” Ed continued to rage. “They are just now putting it through the final voting stages to ratify it. The public needs to have some kind of knowledge of what’s going on! I swear that there is some freaking conspiracy behind this!” He hit the paper with the back of his hand.

Jean started to laugh in the background.

“Indoor voice, Edward,” Roy warned, but it fell on deaf ears.

“I’m serious,” Ed insisted loudly. “They are ratifying that this large plot of land can be sold for developing. It’s not like our country is going to be benefiting from the sale. It will go for base value, and that’s cheap compared to what private property sells for! But I swear that King Bradley is going to buy it up.” Ed shook his finger at the paper. 

“You read the news?” Jean blinked, stopping typing. “You’re a kid.” 

“Hey! I have to know what’s going on!” Edward protested.

“You could get it like the rest of the world and get online.” Jean pointed to his computer.

“Then why do we even get a physical paper delivered here?” he spat back.

“Who is selling the land?” Roy asked tiredly, interrupting their bickering. He was already annoyed by Edward’s loud outrage. Roy looked over to silently ask Jean if he knew anything about what Ed was talking about, but he just shrugged at Roy’s helpless and exasperated look. It was probably better they let Ed ride out his yelling.

“And what makes you think Bradley is going to snap it up?” Jean raised an eyebrow.

“This land was set aside years ago for the natural park system.” Ed was much calmer now as he began to explain, but the anger was still clear on his face. “But in the last year, they’ve been moving to say that it has potential resources on it,” he added, shooting the three of them a look. Even Rebecca had stopped typing now to listen to what Ed was saying.

“That rings a bell,” Jean muttered to himself, leaning back in his chair. It tipped back with him as he brought a hand to his chin in thought. He moved his head to study the ceiling as Ed continued to talk.

“The only resource I can even credit it being used for would be water,” Ed continued. “But no one has even mentioned that. If there were water on it, it wouldn’t be sold, it would have been absorbed into the government’s control. They like to have control over things like that.” Ed pointed to the paper. “Then this says that Senator Raven has been discussing the potential of the land! What do you want to bet that there have seen surveyors and geologists all over that area? Bradley is going to mine the fuck out of it!” he accused loudly.

“Calm down,” Roy lowered his hand. He took another drink. Maybe he needed a bit of whiskey in it. Ed was making good points but there should be a rule in the office that there was no politics talk until after noon. Especially on a Monday morning.

“They’re all thieves!” Ed sat back in his seat, crossing his arms. “I swear that Bradley is buying the senate. He’s got the money. He owns enough land and has the assets to buy the entire government.” 

“So what,” Jean shrugged. His hand left his chin and his chair tipped back up. “He’s a businessman.” This was an obvious conclusion to all of them. 

“That’s what lobbyists do.” Rebecca chipped in, agreeing with Jean.

“But that’s the thing,” Ed pointed to the paper. “Senator Raven has been pushing this bill really hard. Listen to this, ‘Senator Raven has firmly stood on the ground that the resources of the land could benefit not only the country but for private businesses as well.’” Ed panned his finger across the pages. “Then here it says, ‘Senator Raven has always been an advocate for private allotments of land to encourage the economic growth of this country.’ It says that Raven said, ‘The private property and small businesses is what makes this country prosper. If this land is to aid in the economic growth of Amestris, there should be no argument on publicizing it.’ Why would he be saying that? He’s not even saying what the land is being, or could be, used for. He’s avoiding that whole discussion. If he said it’s going to open up for water, or it has potential for residential growth, it’d be one thing, but there’s no point in selling the land if there’s no need for its use.” 

“If it’s going residential, Yoki’s retail business could definitely thrive,” Jean rubbed his chin. 

Ed shook his head adamantly. “It’s King Bradley. He’s donated so much money to Raven and his little followers that there’s no way that it’s not going to him. And Senator Raven just needs just a few more votes to get it through, but it looks like, according to the article, that Senator Marcoh has been opposing it. I bet it’s only an amount of time before the Bradley Empire gets to Marcoh too.” Ed chewed on his lip. 

“When I talked to Marcoh at the party,” Jean remembered. “He was very adamant about the protection of government lands. It might be more about that than just the industrialization of some areas.” 

Roy looked back up at the pictures. That was interesting. He stood, catching the red string attached to Marcoh’s name. It had been dangling free for a few days, unattached to anything. Glancing between Marcoh and Bradley’s photograph, Roy twirled the string in his fingers in contemplation. “Is there anything in there about the Armstrongs?” 

Ed shook his head. “I hardly ever see that family in the news. They’re pretty private.” 

“How would any of this even pertain to the case then?” Roy grumped. 

Rebecca tutted and shook her head at his tone, but Roy ignored it. Maybe he needed more coffee.

"Why does this have to pertain to the case at all?" Jean looked over his shoulder at the standing Roy. "You're obsessing over this. Not everything in the world is tied into that damn case." 

Roy muttered something back at him, staring at Marcoh's photo.

Ed shook the paper in front of Jean. “Look, there is a scandal here! Why are you guys not in an uproar?” 

Roy scratched his unshaven cheek and stared at the pictures. He dropped Marcoh’s red string for now. “Who else is in the mining business? Is there anything else that the land has value in?” 

“Marcoh pointed out that the soil would be very good for farming,” Jean interjected. “Something about the type of soil rivals the quality of the soil in the east, and a lot of people forget about that. Agriculture would certainly benefit the people of the country more, as well as our country’s trading. However, he’s more concerned about the land in general.”

Edward nodded. “Apart from that… No. It’s mostly hiking areas. It’s not far from town. The paper almost glorifies it, saying that it will bring jobs, but mining kills water sources. It shouldn’t even be done close to human habitation.” 

“How do you know all this stuff?” Jean frowned.

“How do you not?” Edward bit back.

Roy waved his hand irritably at the two. He sighed and gnawed on his lip. 

There was a quiet pause before Edward spoke again. “You guys have heard about the conspiracy of their little boy’s club, right?” His tone was hushed as if he was sharing a deep secret.

Jean’s chair whined as he leaned forward in it. “There’s always word about that with any powerful group of people,” he dismissed, flicking his wrist in the air.

“No,” Ed shook his head. “There’s this private association that’s part of the elite of this country. They run the country behind the scenes.” 

Roy didn’t stop looking at his pictures. It was all talk at this point and it had nothing to do with the case. He’d just go back to overthinking and wishing he was having better coffee with a certain lady rather than being in the office.

“It’s members are people like most of the senators, leaders of the country, and even big businessmen like Bradley.” Ed sat up in his chair and started to use his hands to talk. “There’s this building on the corner of Benson and 77th. Rumor is that’s the building they congregate in. They have evil worshipping ceremonies there, even dark magic has been speculated.” 

Jean laughed. “Now it’s getting ridiculous.” 

“Ed, come on now.” Rebecca was completely doubtful. “You’re a smart kid, then you come out with that?”

Ed didn't let up. “It gets mail, but no one knows what it is. Not even the mailman knows what it’s for.” Ed’s voice rose. “Why would it get mail if nothing was going on with it? Roy, let me go steal -” 

“No,” he cut him off. “That doesn’t pertain to any of this. We’ve already discussed the legality of this company.” 

Ed huffed and leaned back in his chair. “Supposedly this association was built by the Armstrongs. Do you think that it has anything to do with this?” 

Jean and Rebecca looked at Roy. It sounded like he was trying to get Roy’s attention, and Roy wasn’t going to give it to him. “What would it have to do with the sword?” Roy asked, sounding bored of his conspiracy talk. One potential conspiracy was enough for Roy right now. He didn’t need two.

“It’s just a conspiracy, Kid.” Jean shrugged. “There’s always been talk, and there always will be. There’s no proof, and we have to have evidence to prove something one way or another.”

“I want to prove it,” Ed volunteered as he raised his hand. “It would open up questions and concerns about this country’s government that needed to be addressed years ago.”

“I’m going to need more coffee,” Roy rubbed his brow and stood up to go to the coffee pot.

Jean leaned on his arms on his desk. “You sure want to be a whistleblower? Do you know what happens to whistleblowers?” He drew his finger across his throat.

“Stop it,” Rebecca glared at Jean. “Ed’s not going to get killed for thinking that there's some conspiracy.” 

“He will if he gets caught knowing things he shouldn’t know!” Jean quickly retorted.

“Look, while I was hanging out with Ling, even he said it was a thing,” Ed persisted. “He said that everyone is telling him to grow up but they won’t let him join their order.” 

“He’s too young to be getting into that kind of politics,” Roy added. “That’s why they’re not letting him get involved.” 

Ed scrunched his nose. “Come on, Roy, I’m bored. Let me investigate this, just for fun.”

Roy seriously debated it as he sat down heavily in his desk chair. He stared at the papers in front of him, weighing the pros and cons. It’d get Edward out and doing things. It wasn’t like he could get any real information on it anyway. “Okay,” he mumbled. “But no stealing mail,” he added sharply.

“I’m so going through the trash bin,” he grinned. Ed’s face lit up, just like it had when he saw Ling’s jet ski.

“Now that’s good detective work,” Jean complimented. “Do you know how many love letters I found doing that?” 

Ed puffed out his chest, excited at his new task. 

“You’re on your own,” Roy flicked his hand and like that Ed jumped up and marched out the door. “That was easy,” he groaned. He got up from his chair and looked at Yoki’s photo. “Olivier is already pissed off it’s taken this long. My reputation is slipping.” 

Rebecca walked up behind him and patted his shoulder. “It’s okay, Hun. Maybe you’re thinking too hard. Maybe you need to take a step back?” 

Roy shook his head. He needed it to be Wednesday. He needed better coffee. He wanted a distraction. His eyes looked back at the sword. The sheath was black, with golden bands and the Armstrong emblem… “Wait. That doesn’t look right.” 

Roy turned quickly, slamming down in his seat and nearly spilling his cup of coffee.

Rebecca jumped at the sudden movement and shot Jean a surprised look. They both shrugged, and Roy heard Jean mutter something about ‘a beautiful mind is not always a sane one’. Roy didn’t care.

“Whatcha got there?” Rebecca inquired lightly, seemingly afraid of the box she was opening.

Roy scrolled through page after page of the Armstrong website, looking at the Armstrong crest. He got up, pulling the picture off the wall with force, popping the pin out of the board, letting it fall to roll back and forth on the ground. Collapsing back into his chair, his eyes darted from the pictures online to the picture of the sword. “They aren’t the same.” Roy turned violently to Jean, pointing to the sword. “This is not the crest of the Armstrong family.” 

Jean got up to look over his shoulder. “Yeah, you’re right. Maybe you’re not looking for her sword but another?”

Heart hammering inside of his chest, Roy’s eyes snapped back and forth. His gaze scrutinized every little detail, making sure he was correct. “I’m right,” he muttered to himself in disbelief. His heart leaped inside his chest. Adrenaline was coursing through him, excited at the prospect of finding something.

“What does that mean though?” Rebecca asked gently. Roy heard Jean nudge her behind him. “What?” she whispered defensively.

“No,” Roy interrupted them, reassuring Rebecca. “No, this is something. I’m sure it is.”

“Okay…” Rebecca’s voice was soothing and slow, sounding slightly concerned.

“Okay, what then?” Jean asked.

“I…” Roy bit his lip. There was something right on the top of his tongue, right on the edge of his mind, but it was just out of reach. He couldn’t get it out. “If this is not the Armstrong crest, it belongs to something or someone,” he reasoned. “If I do this....” He trailed off, muttering to himself.

Jean and Rebecca walked out from behind his desk, leaving Roy to mutter to himself as his mind whirred at a million miles a second.

The office and the outside world didn’t matter to Roy right now. He grabbed the photo he’d saved of the lost sword from the files on his computer. Opening the search engine, he reverse picture searched for it, hoping something may come up. If it didn’t appear, that didn’t matter. It may actually add to the theory forming in his mind…

No search results. Roy’s shoulders still slumped, but he threw them back not a moment later. Straightening his spine, he searched for the address Edward had given them for this “secret order”. It was listed as a derelict building. No name was attached to it. Why would a derelict building get mail?

Roy spun back around in his chair, eyeing photographs of each candidate for a possible suspect. They were headshots but showed the candidate sitting from the waist up, their hands folded upon their lap. He scanned their suits, looking for any kind of crest. The ties were all plain, so nothing on there. Governor Kremlin wore a pin, but it didn’t match the crest on Olivier’s sword. Squinting, Roy eyed each of their hands. Olivier wore no jewelry. Roy paused after his eyes moved over Bradley and Raven. They both wore rings. There was a clear crest on Raven’s ring, but Bradley’s was turned away from the camera. Marcoh had no ring, but Roy could see a pin on the lapel of his jacket. It had the same crest. Grabbing the photo of the sword, Roy confirmed that the crests were the same.

“Get Ed on the phone,” Roy called to the room.

“Any particular reason why?” Rebecca asked, phone already in her hand. “He’s not going to be pleased about being taken off his new job so soon.”

“He can keep digging through trash if that’s what his heart truly desires,” Roy dismissed, waving his hand as he scribbled his thoughts down on a scrap piece of paper. “I need him to meet up with Ling.”

“What have you got?” Jean asked knowingly.

“That’s definitely not the Armstrong crest on the sword,” Roy grinned at him. “But it does match a crest on a ring that Senator Raven is wearing. Considering how they’re best buds, I would bet Bradley’s ring has the same one on it too.”

Jean broke out into a wide smile. 

“Get Edward and tell him to meet with Ling as soon as possible. He needs to speak to him about this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens... dun dun duuuun. Full conspiracy mode activated!   
> Your comments have made our days! We get so excited, we have to hold each other back from updating the next chapter too early! We're sure that you all are trying to put the piece together, or maybe your red string is rather short and not as elaborate as mine. Roy's mind is going a thousand miles per minute! Let's see what he comes up with next week. The question "why" must be answered. 
> 
> Thank you for reading! Have a super-duper awesome fantastic day! 
> 
> -Stacy & Emma


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy visits Kng Bradley

Edward had been a bit miffed about being pulled from garbage digging duty, but agreed to set something up with Ling. Roy didn’t care, he was finally making a little progress and would deal with any annoying comments that came his way later. He had his own work to do anyway.

The Bradley Estate was just as impressive as the Armstrong’s from the outside. It reached tall into the sky, boasting three floors, with tall, but thin windows, only two panes wide, stretching in between them. Each of the drapes inside were tied perfectly in unison, making Roy wonder how long that took to do in the morning. It looked square in shape, the corners of the house were built like towers, each part rising a little higher than the rest of the building. The large rough stones were grey, which Roy was honestly surprised wasn’t gold. It reminded him of a prison.

A doorman greeted Roy as he arrived at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the house, asking to provide proof of identity and stating his business at the estate today. He was dressed in a black suit, with a bright white shirt shining from underneath the rich, dark fabric. His black bowtie was held close to his neck, tied and presented perfectly. Roy snickered to himself. The Armstrong’s doorman was not only more polite but far better dressed. 

“I’ve come to meet with Mr. Bradley,” Roy explained. “I called earlier and set up a meeting.”

“Very well, Sir,” the doorman nodded. “If you wouldn’t mind waiting one moment?”

“Yes, of course.”

The doorman disappeared inside, holding the door open so that a different man who was similarly dressed could take his place. He nodded in greeting to Roy, bidding him a good morning, before turning to stare straight ahead. He would get no kind of conversation from his new companion, so Roy descended the steps to look around the front of the house. He admired the front of the building and the gardens, picking out differences and similarities between it and the Armstrong Family’s Manor. There was no real interest in it, Roy just used the game to pass the time.

“If you would come with me, Sir,” the initial doorman beckoned after the door had opened.

Turning, Roy obediently followed after the man. They walked into the Bradley home and the main room was large, the walls arching upwards to a window on the ceiling. There was no chandelier, but there was a large mural painted on the ceiling instead. A lot of gold colours and light shades had been used, giving the illusion that it was bigger than it actually was. Jean and Rebecca had said everything was gold at the dinner too. Bradley obviously loved his work so much that he brought it home with him.

On the opposite wall from the main entrance, Roy was surprised to see another set of open doors which led out into a courtyard beyond. Stone canopies covered the walkway by the house, but in the center was a fountain and a stretch of green grass, all the way to a door on the other side. With a quick glance, Roy noted there was a door on the wall of each cardinal direction. Dotted within the grass were flower beds that were bursting with colour. Not just gold, Roy almost snickered. Trees and hedgerows were also in uniform along the lawn, cut to perfection. There were gardeners currently working on them.

The doorman led Roy up the stairs before him. His feet felt well cushioned by the thick green carpet below him. There were two paintings on the plain beige walls of the stairway, both in the corner as the stairs turned up to the left. It appeared the decoration was uniform within the house, because the same beige wallpaper and green carpet greeted Roy as they reached the top of the stairway and turned to the right. 

“Mr. Bradley, Sir,” the doorman announced after knocking on a dark oak door they’d stopped in front of. “I have Mr. Mustang here to see you.”

“Send him in.”

Stepping inside was more of the same boring decor but this was clearly Bradley’s main study. The room was much bigger than Roy anticipated. The door opened to face Bradley’s desk, which was in the center of the room. Behind him were two large windows, the desk positioned in a way that meant the piece of furniture and the windows matched up perfectly in place. Two glass cabinets were symmetrically placed behind his desk, showing off two different framed photos on their top-shelf. One was clearly Bradley as a younger man, with a man who was probably Bradley's father. Another was Bradley standing, stony-faced, outside a factory. There were whiskey glasses filling the bottom shelf, two in each cabinet, with a decanter next to them as well. The walls were decorated with land deeds and his achievements. There were more pictures hung up, but it was of each of Bradley’s factories. He had a lot more than Roy thought.

“Good morning, Detective Mustang,” Bradley greeted. He was a robust man, one eye patched from what he always said as a childhood accident. Square shoulders reminded Roy of the strength of his company, while Bradley’s mustache was perfectly formed and cut over his lip, like his well-trimmed grass out front. His smile, however, seemed earnest, and his voice almost bubbled with a chuckle as he talked. His face relaxed, calm, and Roy would have guessed he was soft handed in his business as well when there were little big businessmen who were concerning of their employees. Roy, though, knew better. He rose from his desk and rounded it in a leisurely manner to shake Roy’s hand. A firm, unyielding handshake that would normally intimidate a normal man, but Roy eagerly accepted with his own. Bradley then led him to his desk, placing some papers to the side before leaning forward on his forearms while Roy sat on one of the chairs before him. “How can I help you today?”

He leaned back and crossed one leg over the other. “I’m sure you know already that I’ve been hired to help Olivier Armstrong find her stolen sword.” 

Bradley nodded, mimicking Roy’s posture. “I have. I’m assuming you’ve had little luck since you’re here.” 

Roy chuckled. “Yes, well, it was your son’s birthday party.” 

Bradley folded his arms and nodded as he started to look like he was thinking. “I honestly was so distracted as I was trying to be a gracious host. My wife was feeling a bit ill and I was finding myself compensating to make sure she was not overwhelmed.” He turned his chair to look at one of the scenery paintings on his wall. It was a luscious forest, following hills, and a perfectly placed buck in the center. “I remember Olivier having her saber. She usually holsters it on her hip.” 

“Do you remember her taking it off?” 

Bradley nodded. “Yes. She leaned it against the wall when she sat down. That was most unusual of her. But she got up to talk to Senator Marcoh and didn’t retrieve it. I looked over to see it still sitting there.” 

“You didn’t bother to let her know or to retrieve it for her?” Roy raised an eyebrow, pulling out his notebook. 

“Oh,” Bradley laughed. “No, no! No one touches her sword. It’s a family heirloom. God forbid if it went missing.” 

“Yes,” Roy chuckled. “As I’m finding out.” Roy jotted down a few words. He wasn’t writing anything down in particular, but wanted to look like he was. “And you didn’t see anyone suspicious at the party?” 

Bradley shook his head, eyes meeting Roy’s. “No. Everyone there had an invitation. I was very strict about it for security purposes.” He waved his finger in the air as he realized something. “There was that Ling Yao kid. I know that it was encouraged that he came, but I was adamant about no one without an invitation.” 

“And everyone there was well known?” 

“All reputable people. The fact that the sword is missing is alarming on my behalf too. Someone there was not trustworthy and that bothers me. There was someone as low as a thief at the party.” He rubbed his chin, looking back at the painting. “I was even careful to look at my own inventory.” He chuckled. “My wife would’ve had a heart attack if someone had stolen the silverware. It’s real silver, you know.” 

“Why didn’t you contact me with this information?” 

Bradley hummed for a second. “I knew you’d come to me.” 

Roy fake laughed, nodding in understanding when in reality the comment bothered him. Still, he wasn’t the police, so there was no obstruction there. After looking up from his notebook, he made a show of the painting catching his eye. He turned his head, looking at the room more closely. “You sure know how to decorate. I will have to hire your decorator for my office.” 

Bradley laughed again, eye eyes squinting to show crows feet of age and stress. “I’m afraid my wife does most of that.” 

He made a quick sweep of Bradley’s desk to see a familiar emblem on his papers. “I don’t have such paintings either,” he huffed. Another quick look to ensure he had a golden ring, and he did, with a familiar emblem. In the center was the Amestrian dragon, however, it was an older design, one Roy hadn’t seen for years, with much more jagged edges and only one arm on show. Behind the dragon were two swords. Very simple, but it had to be in order for it to fit on something as small as a ring. “That’s a nice ring,” Roy complimented. “I notice the logo matches that of the Armstong’s sword.” 

Bradley took a quick look at it before unfolding his arms and putting them in his lap, out of view behind the desk. “Ah,” he nodded slowly. “Yes.” Roy didn’t expect him to admit to there being a secret club but was curious to his excuse. “The Armstrong family is generous. Years ago, my father was very close to the family. He worked for them for some time, and as a gift, they gave him a ring with the national crest at the time on it.” 

Roy withheld himself from squinting. 

Bradley looked at the ring again. “It’s a sign of trust between the families.” 

“Is that ring cast from the same gold your family mines?” Roy asked innocently.

“It was, yes,” Bradley smirked to himself. “The mine was my grandfather’s, then my father’s. It’s very dear to my family. We’ve worked hard to get where we are today. We could not be more thankful. It’s humbling in a way when you realize that you can come from nothing to something.”

Roy stood up and put his notebook in his pocket. “I didn’t want to waste your time. I just wanted to come by and introduce myself. I don’t get to meet too many tycoons.” 

Bradley laughed generously. “Tycoon? Hardly.” Bradley circled the desk, gesturing for Roy to walk to the door before him. “I will walk you out.” He opened the door, waving Roy through. “I’m sure you will find the sword.” 

Roy did raise his eyebrow and looked at Bradley from the corner of his eye. “Just because I have to ask. You don’t happen to have it, do you?” 

Bradley gave another loud laugh. “No, no. I don’t. I wonder if one of my staff picked it up for safekeeping and I wasn’t made aware of it.” He cocked his head in thought, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. They started to descend down the stairs. “I promise to ask them and if I find it, I will promptly return it to the Armstrongs.” 

It’d been a month since the sword had been missing, and he was now asking his staff? Roy snorted a laugh. “Well, at least let me know so I can stop pestering my employees about asking the whole damn city.” They came to the front doors where Bradley stopped and Roy walked out. “It was an honor meeting you,” Roy turned to shake his hand again. 

“Likewise,” King Bradley nodded, taking his hand. “I’ll be sure to call you when I lose something next.” 

Roy smiled but knew it was a jest against him. After all, Roy wasn’t trying to be the guy to call when things went missing. Bradley would know that. He couldn’t be sure, but it felt like Bradley’s eyes were still on him as he walked to his car.

Roy looked at his watch on his wrist before getting in his car. Ed should be playing video games with Ling right about now and he wouldn’t hear from him until later, maybe even tomorrow. Roy started his car and put it into drive. There were still so many questions, and the one at the forefront, begging to be answered, was: why? There was always why. If there was this association that Ed accused them all of being in, then the sword had something to do with it. 

* * *

“Well?” Jean asked as Roy walked in the door.

“The dude loves gold,” Roy muttered.

“In his home too?” Rebecca asked eagerly. She appeared to be fascinated with the subject.

“Decor was very boring,” Roy revealed, still surprised about that. “But the gold flowers from your night out gallivanting made a return.”

“I wonder if they kept them from the dinner?” she snickered.

“I would hope so,” Jean remarked. “Or at least put them to good use. There was a ridiculous amount there. What a waste,” he scowled.

“I think a man like King Bradley has flower waste way down on his list of priorities,” Roy scoffed.

“He’s a bit of a dodgy dude, isn’t he?” Rebecca’s nose wrinkled in disgust. “He just makes me feel… iffy.”

“I thought that too, at the dinner,” Jean added. “If all those people were there to chip in money for something he could easily pay for, you’d think the guy wouldn't walk around with a face like thunder.”

“Bradley has never struck me as the most ethical person in the world,” Roy replied with a frown. “I don’t like him,” he muttered. “Too… smarmy. And smug. He had pretty clear excuses, looking almost as if he practiced talking about it.”

“Could be a strong contender then for a suspect,” Jean offered. He sat back in his chair, tipping it back, with an ankle hooked over his knee. He fiddled with the pen in his hands.

“He really could be,” Roy replied seriously. He spun to face his board.

“So what happened?” Rebecca asked. “What did he say?”

“He said he remembered her having it, and remembered it being dropped. Didn’t have a suspect.” Roy sat down in his own chair and sighed loudly. “He’s only now going to ask his staff if they saw it. It’s been so long now though that I don’t imagine he’ll get very far. If any of them did take it, they could blatantly play the forgetful card.” Roy’s eyes flicked down to the ring he could just see on Bradley’s finger in his photograph. “He had the ring though.” 

Jean chuckled. “I’m not sure how this pertains to the sword.” 

“Because the sword has it,” Rebecca answered quickly. “The question is how it pertains to it being stolen.” 

Roy pointed to her with a finger gun. “Exactly. But what do you want to bet that either a member stole it, or someone who wants to be a member stole it? I mean, what would it matter? What’s so important that it needed to be stolen?”

“It would all depend on the Armstrong’s tie in this. You said Bradley’s ring was a gift?” Jean asked. Roy nodded. “So, if it was a gift from a father to another, that means the families have been tied together for years. If this organization is real, it would be safe to consider that one of them was a founder?” Jean asked.

Roy nodded. “We’d need to confirm that.”

Jean rubbed his chin. But before he could say anything, the door swung open with enough force to bounce off the back wall. In the doorway, Ed stood with his hands on his hip, standing like he had just single-handedly held off the Drachman army. “Guess who was right about the conspiracy?” he announced with a shit-eating grin.

All three of them looked at each other before Jean answered, “You?” 

Ed leaned against the wall, crossing his arm, not losing that stupid grin. “Ling totally confirmed it.” 

Jean looked at Roy with a chuckle. “This is why they won’t let him into the club. He’s too young to know when to keep his mouth shut.” 

“Look,” Ed glared. “We were playing video games and I asked him about it.” 

“Just like that?” Roy leaned back and crossed his arms. 

“Yeah. He said they are called the Gatekeepers.” 

Rebecca, Jean, and Roy looked at each other. 

“Ling told me they’re some sort of secret organization, just as I said.” 

Roy rolled his wrist to avoid the bragging and continue the talking. 

“He said they meet once a month and talk about ‘man stuff,’ but said all the influential people go there.” 

“Like who?” 

Ed held up his fingers as he counted. “Our friend Senator Raven for one. Then there’s Senator Marcoh. He did say the Armstrong family has been there for years and he was surprised that they didn’t hold any offices. He also confirmed King Bradley was in it.” Ed raised another finger. “President Grumman…” He began to count off members that he remembered. 

Roy rubbed his chin and turned back to the pictures. Ed kept naming off people, but Roy didn’t pay any mind. He’d have him write up a report. 

“Roy,” Ed said firmly, getting Roy’s attention back. “We know why the sword is so important. Do you think that they stole it?” 

“Or someone wants in,” Jean mumbled. “But, they’d know if they were a member, right?” 

Roy shrugged. 

“Anyone with the crest can get in. I told Ling the sword had it on it, and he said now he wanted in so that he could attend the meeting.” Ed moved to his desk. “I think they can have proxies or something.” 

Roy nodded, still taking in the fact Ed was right. “So who wants in, then?” 

“We need to find out who was at the birthday party and was not a member,” Jean answered. 

Rebecca and Ed nodded. 

“I did find out that the building I said was their meeting point was owned by the Armstrongs.” Ed grinned. “And I checked the power meter and it’s getting power. It’s being used for something.” 

“Any bills?” Jean asked. 

Ed shook his head. “There were police about. I did check my phone. There was WiFi there. But it’s got a password.” 

“Did you try Gatekeeper123?” Roy chuckled at his own joke. 

Ed stared flat-faced at his mentor. 

“So,” Rebecca interrupted them. “It’s owned by the Armstrong family, has WiFi, and gets power.” 

Ed nodded. “So, we just need to go there and watch them go in next week.” 

“That’s what I do,” Jean grinned. Roy watched as excitement lit up his face like a Christmas tree.

“Let's focus on the sword guys.” Roy stood up and pointed at the pictures. “Let’s go over the suspects. Are we missing anyone?”

Rebecca, Jean, and Edward looked at each other and shook their heads. 

“Ed, can you write a report? Let’s get this down on paper before we all forget, or the thought gets lost.” 

He nodded and woke his computer up with a shake of the mouse. “Ling said that he was totally in on this and would be willing to do more reconnaissance for us.” 

Jean’s eyes grew twice their size. “You can’t just be open about what we’re doing! You have to interview, not give information away!” 

“Remember your comment about kids being too young,” Roy laughed. He turned to the youngest member of the group. “What do you think you two can do?” 

Ed shrugged. “I told him that I’d let him know.” 

Roy nodded and bit his lip. “I don’t think we need everyone we meet involved.”

“Yeah,” Jean quickly agreed. “If they’re onto us, they might kill us.” He gulped. 

“They aren’t going to kill us,” Roy chuckled. “We just want to get her sword back.” 

“Well… We can ask Ling to get it if it’s in an office. I bet he’d do it.” 

The team looked back at Ed. 

“I don’t know, “he shrugged. “How does one normally get a stolen item back?” 

Roy grumped. “I suppose we can call the police, but it seems that Ms. Armstrong wanted to keep this quiet for reasons.” 

“How do we expect to get it?” Jean scratched his head. “We can’t just walk in.” 

“And we can’t just steal it back,” Rebecca added. “We’re a reputable business, remember?”

Roy nodded. “I can just tell Olivier who it is. She alone could take them on.” He laughed nervously. “I guess we can threaten police actions, try to give them the option of avoiding lawful convictions.” 

“Taking down a secret organization? Stealing swords? Exposing officials? I’m totally in.” Ed rubbed his hands together eagerly before turning back to his computer. “I love this job already.” 

“Don’t get used to it,” Jean quickly advised. “Most of the time we just sit around and play poker and drink coffee.” 

Maybe this was the case that Roy had been looking for. Maybe this was going to be the one to build his reputation to where he wasn’t just some private investigator. Maybe...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm missing Riza and the Royai part of this story. I sure hope she returns soon. 
> 
> What about that interview? Anyone notice some suspicious behavior? I'm not sure we can rule the old man out of it quite yet, but why would he want the sword? Even I'm curious! Don't forget to leave us a comment saying hello! And feel free to check us out, or say hey on tumblr, @snowdog49 and @jeanhaavoc. 
> 
> We hope that you are enjoying the fic. We wish you a very happy day and a fantastic week!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another date with Roy and Riza, but this one takes an interesting turn...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Hope you enjoy this one!

The cafe was much busier than Roy had expected. The tables were mostly full, making Roy grateful to find the one he did. The music he loved was faintly playing in the background, almost drowned out by the conversations around him. He arrived early to be sure to get them both a pastry and her coffee, but now he was just sitting there waiting. Looking around, he thought he should have grabbed a paper. Then he could have at least watched his new favorite law getting passed. Roy groaned. When all this was over, he was so going to take the money and buy a vacation for a month. He wasn’t going to do so much as turn on a TV. 

The light ring of a bell on top of the door brought his attention to the familiar blonde into the cafe. Wearing a simple blouse and work slacks, she looked like she was ready to go to work. Her hair was pulled up into a clip, the ends swaying as she looked to find him. Roy was sure he looked almost childish with the grin on his face, but his heart was pounding away. He was so happy to see her. Once the eye contact was made and a step was made in his direction, an open smile grew on her own lips. She was just as happy to see him and the realization sent shockwaves through his body. 

“Hey,” she greeted.

“Hi. I got you coffee,” he answered, showing her the cup on the table. “And a pastry,” he added quickly. 

“You’re too nice,” she thanked, sitting down and putting her purse on the seat next to the window. “How have you been?”

Roy held back a laugh but a chuckle escaped. “I’ve been very busy.” 

“Is it this case? The… sword one?” 

He nodded. “It’s getting complicated!” 

She laughed. 

“But tell me how you are?” 

Riza sat back in her seat and sipped her coffee. “I’ve also been busy. Mondays are generally pretty hectic since I have to catch up over the weekend, then Tuesday is a recovery day. So Wednesday I generally take some time for myself.” 

“That’s not a bad idea,” he commented seriously. “I may have to implement that into my own life.”

“It’s nice,” she added. “Then we can meet for morning breakfast here.” She nodded to the pastry. “Raspberry danish and a coffee. That sounds perfect to me.” 

His chest swelled with warmth. It spread across to his shoulders and up his neck, confirming the fact that he’d like that very much. Roy could think of no better way to spend the middle of his week.

“For all the work that I do, I take every spare moment for myself.” 

Roy frowned. “Don’t you have a team?” 

She shook her head. “Not really. I can handle the work, but I would’ve liked two more people. Thankfully, I have my own office so that I can hide away in there and play some music while I number away.” Her fingers danced as if she was typing. 

He chuckled. “My office is an open space. It’s difficult when one person is playing music. My partner, Jean, puts headphones in, but we have to throw a paper ball at him to get his attention.” 

“I wouldn’t mind that,” she sighed. “Just tune out the bullshit of the rest of the office.” 

“It’s that, and Jean and the office manager have a love affair going on,” he rolled his eyes. “I have to watch them make lovey-dovey faces at each other.” 

“Sounds like you need to hire a pretty lady that you can make goo-goo eyes at.” She took a gentle sip of her latte, raising her eyebrows suggestively.

“Are you looking for a job,” he quipped with a grin.

She laughed. “I might be after next month!” 

“Oh?” 

“With a large company like mine, giant purchases require loans and paperwork. I have to move one number here and there,” she moved her hand side to side. “And it's just a few more extra steps than I’d like it to be. My boss is very particular on how things are done.” 

Roy chuckled. “You’d like working for me. Just pay the power and phone bill,” he chuckled. 

“I’m sure you have an income that you need to balance.” Riza took a sip of her drink.

“It’s simple with the work we do. You will barely have any work.”

“Maybe I’d like to stay busy.” She raised her eyebrow. 

“You can work whenever you want, and for how long you want. I’m an easy boss,” Roy tried to sweeten the pot to hire her. He reached for his pastry while she was laughing but his hand felt a warmth land on it. Looking over, her hand rested on his for a mere second. In the next second they retracted their hand and laughed nervously. “Sorry,” he said as he realized he had reached for hers. “You go first.”

She pulled the pastry towards her. “I guess you’re stalking my raspberry danish now too?” She chuckled, keeping the mood light.

Roy went to say something but closed his mouth and shook his head. A sheepish smile found its way onto his face, but inside his stomach was doing somersaults.

“So, tell me, how’s this sword mystery going?” 

Roy bit his lip as he tried to decide how much to tell her. “Well…” He took a drink of his own coffee. She pushed the pastries back across to him, letting him pick up his own. “We think that we’ve found a group of people who are associated with the owners. So, we are diving into wondering if they stole it now.” His finger began to tap the side of his coffee cup nervously.

Her eyebrows rose as she took a drink. 

“It’s like this club they are with. You know… Like little kids with a secret word to get in?” 

“All the bigwigs who run this country are in it?” 

Roy’s finger stopped tapping his cup. He squinted at her gently before raising an eyebrow. “Ms. Riza, how do you feel about conspiracies?” 

She smiled as she leaned forward. “Sometimes there’s truth behind them.” 

“What do you know?” He leaned eagerly forward to her, shifting in his seat, now only a short space between them now. He caught the scent of her perfume as it wafted towards him, and Roy faltered. He only then realized how close they were.

“Why don’t you ask me what you need to ask me, and I’ll tell you.” Her voice wafted to his ears like a gentle breeze. “I can’t just tell you anything.” 

“You want me to interview you?” 

Riza’s finger circled the rim of her coffee cup. “I promise to tell you the truth.” 

Roy leaned back in his chair and slowly brought his cup to his lips. “How long have you known?” 

“I had my suspicions since you said you were looking for a missing sword.” 

“Were you at Selim Bradley’s birthday party?” 

Riza nodded. 

Roy never remembered seeing her name on the list. It made him even more suspicious. “Did you happen to see a specific sword?” 

“Ms. Armstrong’s? Yes.” 

Roy nodded. “Where is it then?” A sideways grin slid upon his lips.

“At the office.” Riza sipped her coffee nonchalantly. 

“You have got to be kidding me.” He stared straight at her through his black hair over his eyes.

Riza shook her head. 

Roy had one more question to ask. “Who do you work for?” 

“King Bradley.” 

He dropped forward, his forearms on the table. “Then why didn’t you tell me before.” 

“You never asked,” she smiled, but he could see the nerves behind it. “I did tell you at dinner you could ask me anything. And I think it’s not about a stolen sword, but about control over the senate. I’ve been watching the numbers. Bradley hasn’t donated to Senator Raven’s campaign for the past 6 months. He’s bribing him.” She took a drink of her latte. “I trust you more than just the average officer. I think you can handle this more professionally than me just coming forward to the law.” 

Roy grabbed her pastry and put it in its bag. “We need to go to the office.” He looked around. “We can’t talk about this here.” 

Riza watched him for a second, but Roy waved her up. “You have no idea how big this is,” he continued. “You’re the link to all our answers.” 

“Roy,” she said as she stood up. “I can’t just take the morning off work.” 

“Just a quick talk at my office.” Even though it was on the other side of town. “This is exactly what we’ve been trying to find out.” 

“Mr. Bradley’s expenses have almost doubled. I think he’s getting ready for a large purchase.” 

Roy grabbed her arm gently, leaning closely to whisper to her. “Do you know about the Gatekeepers?” 

“That,” she whispered, lifting a finger, “I should not talk about in public.” 

“Please,” he begged. “I promise it won’t take long.” 

He must have looked earnest and desperate enough because, after a short pause, Riza nodded slowly. “Alright.”

“Thank you,” he breathed.

He hurried towards the door, remembering his manners in his excitement, and held it open for her. Once again, his mind was running a million miles a minute, but when he looked in her face, noted how her eyes darted from side to side as she walked, he faltered. Forcing his brain to calm down, Roy took a deep breath and tried to slow his heart rate too.

“Sorry,” he began as they walked towards his car. “This is just… really big. And I got a bit excited.”

“I understand,” Riza replied. She clutched the strap of her purse close to her body. “And I’m happy to help if I can.”

Roy lengthened his stride to reach the passenger’s door before her. Opening it, he held it open for Riza. After she thanked him, he walked around to his own side, his steps heavily with urgency. Putting the car into drive, he maneuvered his way out of the space with his fingers tight on the steering wheel. As he drove, he had to remember not to let his mind run away with him. He had to stay focused. He didn’t want to interview Riza, but he wasn’t going to let a source get away from him if he could help it. After all, he also didn’t want to scare her away as a potential date. After all this, Roy still had intentions to date Riza. 

“I promise this will be quick,” he reiterated. “I can even drive you to your office afterward if you like?”

“I appreciate that, but dropping me off back at Metric will be fine.” Out the corner of his eye, he noticed how she gripped her paper cup a little tighter. The tips of her fingers were turning a lighter shade of pink.

Roy didn’t want her to be afraid, especially of him. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable either. Though the ride was with little conversation between the two of them. He wanted to continue to talk to her, continue to ask her about the case, but his body was on fire. His mouth felt dry. All he could think about was how he was more upset that it was her rather than some stranger off the street. He begged the universe that she could still consider him a love interest and not just a detective after this. 

Pulling up outside his office, both exited the car at the same time and entered. Rebecca looked up from her work, looking a bit bored, but froze, eyes growing wide with excitement, when she saw Riza behind Roy. 

“Hey, Roy,” she greeted slowly, elongating her greeting. She couldn’t have sounded more curious if she tried.

“Rebecca, I’d like you to meet Riza,” he introduced. He turned, gesturing towards her. “Riza, this is my office manager, Rebecca.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Rebecca offered her hand for Riza to shake, which was grasped firmly. Her eyes dropped to the coffee cups and Roy watched as her eyes began to sparkle. Rebecca’s smile grew even wider, turning her full attention to Riza.

“Likewise,” Riza replied politely.

“So, you’re Coffee Shop Girl?”

Roy groaned.

“Coffee Shop Girl?” Riza inquired, amusement clear on her face.

“I knew you were real!” Rebecca cried. “Yes, Jean owes me 100 cenz.”

“I’ve been meeting Roy at the coffee shop for a little while, yes.” Then she turned to face him, her cheeks red, eyes teasing. “Have you been telling people about me?”

He resisted the urge to slam his head against his desk.

“He won’t shut up about you,” Rebecca helpfully chimed in. Roy could not be more thankful that Jean was not there.

“We’re here for the case, Rebecca. I’ve brought her in to ask her a few questions,” Roy explained, reaching into his desk for a pen and paper.

“You’re asking your date a few questions about the case?” she exclaimed, mouth popping open in her horror. “Roy, I knew you were hopeless Buddy, but come on!”

“This is important!” he argued. “It benefits the case.”

Riza blinked at the interaction between them, watching nervously.

“Yeah, but not poor Riza here! I am so sorry about him,” she gushed to Riza. The latter just laughed quietly in response. “He doesn’t get out much.”

“Rebecca,” Roy warned, shaking his head as he glared at his co-worker. He unfolded a chair they kept in the corner and offered it to Riza. It was just a cheap one they had to hand in case they interviewed anyone at the office, but it was barely used. Still, the seat and the back were cushioned so at least there would be some comfort there for her. “Please, take a seat,” he offered her in a much softer tone.

“Thank you. And honestly, I don’t mind,” she reassured Rebecca. “This is important and I trust Roy.”  
  


She’d already told him that, but it still made his heart race. His fingers paused as they typed over his keyboard, and he hoped the other two women didn’t notice. To have it announced so openly was music to his ears.

“Good,” Rebecca relented. “I’m glad.” She turned her attention towards Roy, lifting a finger to point it at him. “Just make sure you make it up to her with a proper date.”

“I will,” he replied defensively, then caught Riza’s eye. “I will,” he repeated, his tone earnest. He realized this was not the ideal date and personally, he would much rather have remained in the coffee shop, but he couldn’t let this go. “I promise. Sorry, I know this probably isn’t what you had planned.”

“Like I said, I’m happy to help. I want to help. I don’t mind. This seems too important not to offer my assistance.” Her smile was open and sincere, warming Roy to his core. “But I look forward to seeing how you make it up to me,” she added dryly.

“So, there will definitely be a next time? I haven’t blown it?” he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

Riza shook her head. “Not at all. You’re very dedicated to your work.” She giggled. “I’ve always wondered what you did when you were working.” 

Roy glared at Rebecca when she snorted loudly from her desk.

“It’s admirable,” Riza continued. “I respect you for that.”

Their eyes lingered on one another for a moment longer than was necessary, and Roy shot her a grateful smile.

“Okay, so.” Roy took a deep breath, looking over all that was in front of him. “Rebecca, can you take some notes too?”

“On it,” she called, sliding along the floor in her chair to grab a notepad.

“You saw the sword at the party, correct?” Roy asked Riza.

“Yes, I did. Ms. Olivier set it down. I didn’t see anyone take it, but I did notice it was gone before she did. I tried to look around to see where it had gone but saw no one suspicious leaving the scene. It was as if it just vanished into thin air.”

“What happened when Ms. Olivier noticed?”

“She wasn’t very happy. She looked angry and was in a very heated discussion with… I can’t remember who, to be honest.” She tapped her chin as she tried to remember. “But the man was pretty off guard when she made her scene. Then, she left and I didn’t see her after that.”

“And where is it being held now?”

“At Bradley’s offices.” 

Roy nodded, taking quick, shorthand notes. “Have you seen the sword at this office?”

“I have. I saw it in one of the cabinets behind his desk. I didn’t think it was a big deal, until you said you were looking for it, then I knew what it really was.”

Roy’s head shot up sharply. “Behind his desk?”

Riza nodded. “Yes. Have you been inside his office?”

“I went to his house. That office?” 

“No, he has business offices. They’re on Williamson street.” 

“The cabinets there are identical to the ones he has in his home office. They have those two shelves, then out of view behind his desk is another cabinet below them. It holds some of his whiskey and I saw it there when he opened it one day.”

“He drinks whiskey in his office?” Rebecca muttered to herself.

“It was for a celebration, which I politely declined.”

Rebecca’s head lifted, obviously not realizing she’d voiced that thought out loud.

“What was the celebration?” Roy asked carefully.

“He’s very close to sealing a deal with Senator Raven. Money has been moving out of his accounts consistently for the last few months. I didn’t think much of it, but when I had to do invoices for the company I needed to know where this money was going. It’s directly to Senator Raven, and I think Bradley is bribing him.”

“Do you have any idea why?”

“The development out in the west,” Riza nodded. “That’s all I can think of. Raven is very heavily invested in it, and so is Bradley because it would increase his profits exponentially, making him one of the richest men in Amestris. Bradley is pushing for Raven to pass this development by bribing him. The money Raven gets goes straight back into his campaign. It’s a win-win for both.”

“That still doesn’t explain why the sword though,” Rebecca interrupted, her voice a gentle reminder.

“No…” Roy replied, trailing off. “But it does explain their connection and confirms it. It’s still something very corrupt.” He looked down at his notes. “And is a lot bigger than I thought,” he muttered to himself.

“So, why would Bradley steal a sword?” Rebecca asked.

“Is this going to be off the record?” Riza interjected suddenly between Roy and Rebecca’s back and forth.

Roy blinked at her. “Yeah, it can be anonymous. Whatever you’re comfortable with.”

Riza bit her lip. “I would prefer that please, if you wouldn’t mind.”

“Of course,” Roy reassured her. Thinking back, he remembered how nervous she looked earlier. “Is something wrong?” He dropped his pen on his desk, forgotten about, as he turned his full attention towards Riza.

“I… noticed another addition to Bradley’s books. A worrying one.” She shot Roy a look.

“Do you fear you’ll be targeted?”

“Absolutely,” Riza replied, but there was no fear in her voice, only conviction. Roy’s stomach sank. That wouldn’t happen on his watch.

“What’s the addition?” Rebecca was hesitant with her question.

“It’s a contract. There’s a name attached to it - Solf J. Kimblee - but when I enquired about it for the invoices Bradley told me to ignore it. But I couldn’t just ignore it. It’s my job to ring everything through, and it's just been sitting there for a week, untouched, because I don’t know what to do about it.”

“What kind of contract are we talking about?” Roy really hoped his gut was wrong.

Riza’s eyes were on her lap. Her fingers wrung together there. “I think this Kimblee guy is a hitman.”

Silence fell over the office. No one moved and no one spoke as it sunk in.

“Marcoh,” Roy whispered, his voice quivering. 

Riza looked at him seriously. 

“He’s the only one stopping Raven… Do you have definite proof of that?” Roy asked, his voice low.

She shook her head. “No, but I can try and find -”

“No.” Roy cut her off, straightening his spine. “Don’t do anything other than what you were already doing.” Dread was churning up the inside of his stomach.

“Yeah,” Rebecca agreed. “Leave it to us, we’ll deal with it.”

“Thank you.” She let out a long breath. “I don’t think I’ll be a suspect but…”

“Just…” Roy scrambled inside of his brain for a moment, trying to find the right words. “Be safe, okay?” His request was earnest as he met Riza’s gaze. If he’d realized how deep this went earlier, he may have been able to do this on his own and not involve her at all. Guilt was beginning to replace that dread in his stomach. Roy reached inside his desk drawer. “Call me if you need anything, and I mean anything, all right?”

“Thanks,” she breathed. She met his eyes with a shaky smile.

“Or just come down to the office,” Rebecca added. “Roy’s here all the time anyway,” she joked, trying to lighten the mood, which he appreciated. “Here, have my number too.” Rebecca shuffled some papers around as she tried to find her own business cards. “Just in case you can’t get through to him.”

“I really appreciate that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... 👀 What do you all think of that??
> 
> It's been so interesting to hear all your theories (we both love a good conspiracy theory hehe) and to see how they've developed as the story goes on. Miss Riza helps blow the case wide open! What will happen now though I wonder?
> 
> Have a good week! We'll see you next Saturday for the next chapter! :D


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy and the team discuss their most recent revelation and Roy and Riza discuss a plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! It's Saturday already? I swear the weeks are getting shorter as lockdown goes on. But that does mean a new chapter, so yay! :D
> 
> We hope you enjoy reading!

Jean was sitting at his desk, feet up on it, throwing a foam baseball at the ceiling and catching it. It was a habit that drove Rebecca up a wall, but she was at a lunch with her parents, so it was driving Roy insane instead. The room felt empty if anything. Ed was gone as well, doing something with Alphonse, his younger brother, but should have been back minutes ago. Roy tapped his pen against the desk to a tune stuck in his head and bit his lip. The last 24 hours have been overwhelming. Now that he had answers he needed action. 

“You’re trying to impress your girl,” Jean snickered from his seat, tossing the ball in the air again. “Save the Day Roy. We can call you that from now on to make you her hero.” 

Roy didn’t respond, only tapped his pen faster against his desk. “I’m one answer away from a breakthrough. I can feel it.”

“So King Bradley has the sword,” Jean grabbed the ball, squeezing around it as he turned to Roy. “Now we have to get it out and deliver it back to Olivier. That’s easy right?” 

Roy hummed as he thought. 

“I can break into the office at night.” 

He groaned loudly. “Really? After I told Edward to play it legal?” 

His blonde co-worker laughed loudly. “What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” 

Roy grunted. 

“What did Riza say? King Bradley is bribing Raven?” 

Roy nodded. 

“Let Edward be the whistleblower that he feels he was destined to be. That can stop this ‘hitman’ business right?” 

“I should,” Roy snorted. “But the attention would get to the Armstrongs,” he sighed. “Like Ed said, they stay out of the media's eye. I think they want to keep it that way.” 

Jean nodded and went back to throwing the ball to the ceiling. “Have we even done a proper search through the system on this Kimblee guy?” 

Roy nodded as he tossed his pen on his desk. “I ran him through the system. He’s been in trouble with the law a few times. Apparently he beat the shit out of a guy.” 

“Nice,” Jean mumbled sarcastically.

Roy laughed in a cough. “He has a residence outside South City and one here in Central.” Roy leaned over on his computer and clicked a few times to bring up the report he had run. “He doesn’t have a good job history. It says he’s self employed. He was in the military for a few years. Our system wouldn’t access the military records and the process to get those records would take us weeks. But he hasn’t kept a job for more than two years and that was before he went to jail.” 

“He’s a hitman,” Jean quickly concluded. 

“I believe Riza… Or I believe her assumption.” 

“But she said he’s on the books?” 

Roy nodded. “And there’s no explanation to it.” 

Jean nodded. “What? Are you afraid of him?” 

Roy shook his head as he glanced at his shoulder holster hanging on the coat hanger by the door. He leaned back in his seat and rolled his sleeves up. 

“Roy,” Jean sat up and turned to him. “You know that I’m behind you 100%, right?” 

Roy nodded. “I’m not afraid of him. I just think that this has to be done carefully.” 

“You should ask for more money,” Jean laughed. 

“I’m tempted to, but she’s already sent me an email today asking me if I’ve found it.” 

“Damn.” 

The two looked up at the door as Ed walked in. “What,” he asked. 

Roy grinned as an idea donned on him. “I was thinking… We need to figure out how deep Raven is in all this…” 

Jean raised his eyebrow. 

“I wonder if Raven has hired this hitman too.” 

“Hitman?” Ed asked with a big grin as he walked through the door. “Everytime I come into this office it gets better and better!” 

“Ed,” Roy reached back to pull his wallet from his pocket. “Get that software update.” He tossed his credit card to his desk. “I need you to hack into Raven and Bradley’s accounting systems and tell me if they’re paying someone.” 

“I need more information than that. Do you have a banking account number?” It was like seeing a kid walk into a candy shop for the first time. Jean and Roy had never seen Ed move so fast as to buy the update of his hacking software. 

Roy groaned and dropped his head into his hands. “I can get Riza to give it to me,” he mumbled. 

“If you can,” Ed said as he typed away. “That’d help. Until then, I can see what I can find.” 

“If this is how you motivate, Ed, we should do this more often,” Jean laughed. 

It made Roy’s stomach curl as he thought about it. 

“So, who’s this hitman out to kill?” Ed tossed the card back to Roy. 

“I think Senator Marcoh,” Roy answered slowly. 

“No shit,” Ed’s eyes grew. “I told you they were corrupt.” 

“If he’s the only one maintaining any opposition to Bradley’s further success, it makes total sense,” Roy leaned back in his chair. 

Ed stopped typing and sat up straight. “Wait! They’re all part of the Gatekeepers!” 

Jean and Roy looked at each other. 

“If this guy needs the sword for a membership, what do you want to bet they’re going to have this guy kill him at the member’s party?” 

Jean nodded quickly. “Yeah! The assassin can get him in a private space and no one will know who did it.” 

“It’s perfect,” Ed exclaimed. 

Roy looked at the two as if they were geniuses. “The people at the building could all deny it,” he said carefully. “They’d all have alibis because they were all together when it happened.” He pointed to Jean and then to Edward. “It’d be perfect.” 

Jean nodded quickly. “That means we have to get the sword by the next meeting.” 

“When I talked to Ling, he said it was this Saturday.” 

“It’s Thursday.” Roy looked at his watch. “Thursday afternoon.” 

“Time is against us,” Jean admitted, though it was already known. 

Roy nodded to Ed. “You better get on that.” 

“Aye, Captain,” Ed grinned as he turned all his attention to his computer. 

Roy turned back to Jean. “I’m sure that the whole building is rigged with security sensors. Breaking into the building will not work.” 

“Hey!” Ed’s head popped up. “You told me I had to do things legal? And you’re going to break into a building?” 

“Shut up,” Roy grumped as he turned towards him. “Continue on your illegal hacking or I will take it away.” 

Just like that, Ed went back to his computer. 

“So, we need to get into Bradley’s office without being seen,” Jean crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat. He grinned a toothy grin as he got an idea. Roy had seen this look before and it scared him on some level. “You have someone in the office as it is, Roy.” 

“I can’t ask Riza to get it. It’s not only going to risk her job, but what if Bradley has her killed?” 

“Seriously,” Ed’s head popped up. “How deep are we into this?” 

Roy didn’t look at him. He just pointed at him and his computer. 

“No,” Jean shook his head. “She can either distract him, or we can, and get the sword out.” 

Roy snickered. “I have a wild idea.” 

“I like wild ideas,” Jean rubbed his hands together.

* * *

Roy stood up and stretched. Looking up at the clock he saw that he had two hours to go home and shower before meeting Riza for dinner. He’d called and told her he had a plan and asked her to meet with him. It made him more excited to see her. 

His body was sluggish after being stuck in his desk chair all afternoon. He’d been trying to rack his brain for more dots to connect but had come up blank. The case had gone on too long, and what had just been discovered and theorized was too much. It was a waiting game now until Ed found what he was looking for in the accounts. The kid had been practically bouncing with glee, so when Roy bid them farewell for the day, he wasn’t surprised to hear Ed was going to remain at the office and do some extra work with the accounts. It wasn’t very often that Ed stayed longer than his shift, but the excitement was one of a kind. 

Despite his fatigue, Roy was looking forward to dinner. Strangely enough, he was able to convince her to go to dinner with him. Due to the conspiracy and security, Roy had suggested his house as a joke, but she was serious when she said yes. It was a safe place to review and converse on the plan tomorrow. Even though he was primarily doing it to share the plan with her, it was still dinner with Riza. After he’d interviewed her, he was desperate to talk to her some more about it. During her interview she’d been nervous about it all, and most of all, he just wanted to make sure they were alright.

Even after they’d discussed Bradley and his hitman, it wasn’t lost on Roy how he’d managed to find himself lost in her eyes. As his mind threatened to run away with him, desperately trying to reach a conclusion, he just had to look upon her face to calm himself down. After all, it was still spending time with her, and he wanted to savour every minute. What had started out as a simple coffee shop flirtation had ended up in her being dragged into his work. And yet, his emotions threatened to break him from the job. If she was now involved, he’d separate the two of them, submerging himself in only Riza, to be mentally with her 100%. Now it was complicated, and Roy hated it. 

As he slid into the driver’s side of the car, Roy grimaced. Work seemed to always be interrupting their dates. He’d hijacked their last one and managed to convince her to come to the office, where she’d been overwhelmed by his insistence. He’d seen it in her eyes. Even if she’d been eager to help, it still didn’t sit well with him. He hadn’t been very considerate. As his shoulders drooped, Roy hoped that didn’t work against his favour in the long run. He vowed to himself that on the third date, a real third date, if she wasn’t sick of him by then, there would be nothing work related mentioned at all. 

Stepping inside his apartment Roy hooked his keys on the wall by the door. His jacket followed soon afterwards then he stepped inside his living area.

He sighed loudly through his mouth. He had a lot of tidying to do. There were papers everywhere. Some were from finished cases that were all piled together, but he just kept putting off actually filing them somewhere. They shouldn’t even be in his apartment, they should be filed at the office, but he hadn’t gotten round to sorting through them yet. Picking up the pile from his coffee table, Roy carried them through to his home office. On his way back through he grabbed the dirty socks he’d kicked off the night before and tossed them in his washing basket. He couldn’t have Riza round for dinner and have his dirty clothes lying out.

It didn’t take him long to find some kind of order inside his home, and Roy quickly jumped into the shower with half an hour to spare. They were just ordering food in tonight since it was such short notice. He would have loved to cook for Riza, have her criticize it with her cooking knowledge, but he barely had any food in his fridge anyway, and had no time to prepare and make anything. She’d said she didn’t mind, but as the water poured over Roy’s head, he pouted. He should’ve been more prepared.

“Should spend less time at the office,” he muttered to himself, turning the water off with force. “Then you’d actually have food in the house.”

He’d chosen to go with smart attire for the night. He didn’t need it to be fancy, and didn’t expect Riza to dress up, but still, Roy wanted to make an effort for her. He donned black slacks and a white shirt, which he buttoned up to his neck. He chose not to go for a tie, as he didn’t want the end of it to be accidentally dipped into his food. Dabbing aftershave on his neck, he observed himself critically in the mirror. 

His hair was getting too long. It needed a cut. He puffed air out of his mouth, shifting his fringe out the way of his eyes. His styling gel caught his eye, and Roy stared at it for a second. He could slick his hair back… He grinned to himself.

Riza knocked on his door at that moment, and in his excitement, he forgot about his hair gel. As he walked to greet her he forced himself not to lunge for the handle. His palms were sweaty and he rubbed them against his pants before reaching for the door. His throat felt dry and he didn’t know what to say… As if he’d never talked to a girl before. No other girl had done this to him. No other girl had actually taken his breath, taken his word, and left him to gawk like a fourteen-year-old boy. He cleared his throat, standing up straight, and turned the handle. 

There she stood in the doorway, looking down the hall so only her side profile was on show to him. Roy noted the way her long hair tumbled both down her back and over her shoulder. Her fringe partially obscured her whisky eyes from his view, but that quickly changed as she turned to face him. A soft smile graced her lips and her expression softened. He didn’t miss the way she gave him a quick once over, and lingered on his face for a moment longer as her mouth parted only slightly.

As he set his eyes upon her mouth and noticed her reaction, the memory of their ‘almost kiss’ crept upon him suddenly…

Surprisingly, she’d dressed up more than he’d expected. It made him feel less self-conscious knowing that she’d thought the same way he did. She was wearing a flowing beige skirt that brushed her ankles and shifted as her hips moved. Her white blouse looked light, with the sleeves puffing out slightly, before cinching at the wrists. The neckline was open, exposing the skin of her throat, with her elegant neck on show. 

Roy swallowed thickly and tried to remember how to breathe.

“Hello, Roy.”

“Riza,” he smiled brightly at her. He tightened his grip on the door handle. “Hi.”

* * *

Roy leaned on his dining table in his home while Riza giggled. “I love this plan. It’s kind of… wild.” The excitement was clear in her eyes. “Do you go on crazy adventures like this often?”

“Only once a month,” Roy quipped.

She snorted and shook her head fondly.

“I’m not even sure it’s going to work. If it doesn’t, we are all in for a world of hurt.” His tone took on a more serious note, but he had a sheepish grin on his face. 

She leaned close to him, her hand on his. Roy stopped breathing as he felt the softness in her touch. “I hope that you’ll be able to protect yourself. Solf has been at the office lately. He’s been in and out of all the offices.” 

Roy coughed quietly, trying to focus his mind on the topic and less on the aching feeling to grab her face and pull her into a passionate kiss. “I’ll be fine,” he assured. 

“Good…” She opened her mouth to add something else, but decided against it. “Good. You better be,” she teased.

“Oh, yeah?” Roy smirked. “Is that a threat?”

“It can if you want it to be,” she shrugged carelessly with a coy smile, but Roy noted the look in her eyes. There was real concern there for him.

“I promise, I’ll do my best. Just for you.”

“Just for me?” she asked. He noticed an increased pressure on the back of his hand from her fingertips. Whether it was her subconscious or not, Roy didn’t really care. He couldn’t spare brain power for much else, all he could focus on was how soft her hands were. “That’s quite a claim.” Her voice had dropped lower, to a murmur, along with her gaze.

Roy followed her eyes, noticing that she was looking at the back of her hand, resting atop his. “Is it a problem if I make that claim?” His question was sincere.

Slowly, Roy flipped his hand over, moving it to grasp her fingers instead. His smile was easy, but he felt like his hands would start shaking at any moment. He held his breath as he lifted her hand to her lips, kissing the back of it.

Riza just stared at him as he moved as he ran his thumb over her knuckles.

Her cheeks were pink and she glanced away for a second, withdrawing her hand from his. She looked slightly embarrassed and Roy had to hold back a chuckle that he could get that kind of response from her. 

“I don’t know…” She trailed off as she continued to look away from him with a blush. But then that worried look was back on her face, the same one he’d seen in his office.

“Are you worried about your part in all of this?” He tilted his head with concern.

“I’m worried about Kimblee. Not just for you, but…” She took a deep breath and exhaled sharply.

“You said he’s been in and out of the offices. Has he approached you at all?”

She shook her head. Her spine straightened and she rolled her shoulders back. “No. He has no real reason to until…”

“Until something happens.”

Riza nodded, glancing over at him. “I… I do trust you, Roy, with this. That’s why I came to you. You seem like a good person and after meeting Rebecca the other day, I felt more confident in sharing the information with you all.”

“I’m glad. And I mean it about calling us anytime. We’re professionals, and we’ll offer you protection if you need it.”

“That’s good to hear.” A tiny smile crossed her face and she looked relieved. “I don’t think it will come to that, but… This is way bigger than I thought it would be.” She shifted in her seat uncomfortably. “If I’d known what was really going on I would never have worked for Bradley in the first place. I mean,” she chuckled in disbelief, “I just ignored the fact that a hitman is on Bradley’s books, and hid the evidence.” She sat back in her seat, her posture screaming defeat. “And I still have to dismiss it.”

“But it’s to protect yourself,” Roy urged. “Don’t bring it up and don’t question it. Just do as Bradley says and don’t draw attention to yourself. We’ll sort out the rest,” he reminded her. “Just keep yourself safe. That’s the most important thing.” Roy swallowed. “That’s very important to me.”

Her eyes locked with his and Riza sat forward in her chair. At the same time, Roy straightened. She kept leaning forward, but at a slower pace, as Roy lifted his free hand, bringing his palm to cup her cheek. She inhaled sharply. His fingers slid into the hair behind her ear, and he marvelled at how silky smooth it felt. Lifting her hand, Riza hung on tightly to the forearm by her face. Licking her lips in anticipation, her eyes dropped to Roy’s own.

They were less than an inch away before they were jolted apart. Roy let out a frustrated sigh as his phone buzzed, the ringtone sounding loudly in his apartment. Riza pulled away with a sympathetic look, but she did squeeze his wrist. That was a comfort at least.

Removing his hand from her neck, he cursed every piece of technology on the planet as he fished his phone out of his pocket. 

“Edward,” Roy greeted in a tone that told the teenager that this better be good.

“You are not going to believe what I’ve found tonight,” he cackled happily to himself.

“What have you got?” His tone was dejected. He glanced at Riza then placed the phone down on the table between them, putting Ed on speaker.

“Bradley is a dodgy dude!” he sang cheerily. The kid sounded like he was on cloud nine. “And is definitely working with Raven. Our dear Senator’s personal accounts show large sums of money being transferred from a certain Mr. Bradley. He’s definitely bribing him.”

“Edward’s right, Roy,” he heard Rebecca call out. She was still at the office? “We’ve been going through it all and there’s definitely been some shady deals going down.”

“There’s so much money that’s been moved over the last few months,” Jean’s voice sounded, “and I’m talking six figure sums, not just chump change. This is serious, and I think it’s what we’ve been looking for.”

“You’re all still there?” Roy asked.

“There’s been a lot to go through, and it's been exciting!” Rebecca called.

Roy glanced over at Riza. “See anything about an assassin?”

“Can’t see anything like that. There’s so many big figures though, that it could be any one of them. Did you know the Police Chief is being paid off too? A lot of effort to go through, especially for a reputable business like Bradley’s and such a well loved public figure like Raven.”

Roy snorted at Ed’s sarcasm.

“The accounts are easy to track though, if they’re public. It will take some time but I’ll be able to manage it. There will be a pattern somewhere.” Edward snickered. “I doubt they’ll miss the money if we want to have some fun. I could very easily move some money around so we could replace that damn 3D printer.”

“You will do no such thing,” Roy scolded through the phone, leaning forwards, as if it would increase the force of his words. Riza laughed quietly beside him. “It’s bad enough you're even looking at those accounts.”

He was quickly dismissed. “Stop worrying. You’ll end with another grey hair in that shaggy mane of yours.”

Roy grit his teeth tightly together. “Goodbye, Edward. Go home and get some sleep. We all know how cranky children get when they don’t get enough sleep.” He hit the end call button as soon as he heard Edward’s outrage beginning.

“That was childish,” Riza giggled.

“Serves him right for the grey hair comment,” Roy scowled at his phone.

“I can’t see any,” she stated softly. Roy turned his head to face her sharply, noting how she was looking at his hair. Roy only then realised he’d forgotten to actually slick his hair back. “I think you’re good,” she smiled. “Plus, that hairstyle is a nice look on you.”

“Were you pleasantly surprised when you first met me?”

“In more ways than just one,” she replied, winking at him. She stood from her chair and Roy felt his shoulder slump slightly, knowing what was coming. “I should get going,” Riza murmured.

“Okay,” Roy nodded, not letting his disappointment show. “Of course. I can walk you home, if you like?”

Riza shook her head. “You’re sweet, but I’ll be fine. I’ve got my car.”

“Text me when you get home? Just so I know you got back safe.”

“I will.” She smiled and reached for his hand, giving it a squeeze. “Thank you for tonight, Roy. Although it was talking shop… I still had a lot of fun.”

“Really?” Her eyebrows raised in amusement at his surprised tone. “I mean, you did?” He couldn't quite hide how earnest he sounded.

“It’s very interesting watching you work.” Riza cocked her head to the side, regarding him. “You can be very intense.”

“I hope that’s not a bad thing,” he laughed nervously.

“Not at all,” she reassured him. “Just shows you’re passionate.”

“Good. And I promise that on the next date there will be no talking shop. Once is okay, but every time we’ve met up I feel like I always manage to steer the conversation that way.”

“You’re in love with your job, Roy, I get it,” she smirked with a mischievous smile. “I can take coming in second place. Just for you, though,” she winked.

“I’m not… I mean, I wouldn’t -”

“Goodnight, Roy.” A placating hand was pressed to his bicep in farewell, cutting off his stammered speech. “And thank you for everything. I mean it. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

He swallowed, opening his mouth to reply, but was rendered mute and frozen in place as Riza leaned up to peck his cheek. She just smiled at him as she walked away, leaving him staring, dumbfounded, after her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, we were so close to royai taking it a bit further ;D Perfect timing Ed! Haha
> 
> Let us know what you think! We always love to hear from you :D
> 
> See you next week for the next one!!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy and Jean go on a field trip

The air conditioning in the car was refreshing compared to the hot fall that they were experiencing. Roy checked his shoulder holster again, like a nervous tic. Jean noticed because he snorted a laugh and looked back at the building.

“It’s going to be fine.” He took a draw from his cigarette. “I’m doubting you’re going to end up in a shootout in King Bradley’s uptown office.” He blew smoke out the window and rubbed his nose. 

Roy turned to look out of his window. There were businessmen mostly outside. A few men walking together, talking about some nonsense. There was a woman with three kids heading in the direction of the museum, and a young man with a brown messenger bag riding a bike down the road. It was normal. It was as normal as you got. He searched the area once more, and then again, looking for anything out of the ordinary, and found nothing. He looked at the alley ahead of them. It was clear and not one vehicle traveled down it. He wasn’t going to get another shot like this. Although he’d done crazier stuff, Riza was involved in this one, and Roy’s stomach turned at the thought of it going so badly that it affected her.

“You’re going to be fine. What are you scared of?” 

Roy turned to look at his companion. “I’m not scared. I don’t get scared.” He opened the door.

“You’ve gone over this enough times, you probably could write a book on it.” 

Roy glared. “If Riza’s information is correct, and she plays her part, we won’t have any problems. If the police show up, drive away and leave me here.” He looked at the building. “I will just… go to jail… or something,” he muttered, then frowned to himself.

“Whatever you say, Chief.” 

Roy glared. “You could at least pretend to be loyal.” He didn’t particularly care for Jean’s throwaway attitude.

Jean grinned, cigarette hanging from his teeth. He had no guilt nor shame.

“You have a badge,” Jean laughed. “And you’re there on official business.” 

Roy got out of the car, leaned on it as he peered inside. “Stealing something back is not ‘official business.’” He nodded towards the alley. “Don’t be late.” 

Jean gave him a lazy salute and Roy shut the car door. He opened the door of the office building, climbing the stairs. It wasn’t gilded as Roy expected. It was plain, beige halls with a dark wood trim. There was a long hallway, just as Riza had explained. Her office was close to the front. He could see her door with “accountant” on it. Bradley’s was in the back on the corner. It was the best lit room, with windows to the street and alley. There was a smiling face greeting him at the desk in the entranceway, and Roy nodded with a sincere smile. 

“I’m here to talk to Mr. Bradley,” he stated. “I’m Detective Mustang.” 

The lady nodded. “We’ve been expecting you. I will call him up.” She offered him a chair nearby her desk.

Roy turned to sit, taking a deep breath. This was easy. This was so easy, it wasn’t. 

“Detective Mustang,” a booming voice greeted. Roy stood up to see Bradley standing at the entrance to the hallway, open arms, and a large smile. “This must be important if you needed a meeting right away.” 

“Yes, Sir,” Roy nodded. “It is.” 

“Come back to my office, and we can talk,” Bradley waved his hand over his shoulder to lead Roy down the hall. “What’s all this about? Please tell me you’ve found the sword.” 

Roy chuckled and shook his head. “Unfortunately, we haven’t.” 

They walked into the office and Roy made a quick sweep. It was exactly how Riza described it. He didn’t let his eyes linger on the cabinet in which the sword slept. “At least you have a nature painting in this office,” Roy chuckled, pointing to a painting on the wall with three wolves and a man on horseback. 

Bradley nodded. “I try to keep this place professional so as to not disrupt the mind and be distracted with personality.” He sat down at his desk, waving Roy to follow suit. “Tell me what’s going on, Mr. Mustang?” 

Roy sat down and crossed his legs. “My team and I have come to the conclusion that the theft of the sword was an attack on the Armstrong family. A personal attack.” 

He watched as Bradley’s face woke up to the surprise. 

“We expect there to be a ransom shortly.” 

“This far out?” Bradley frowned. “I’d imagine a ransom would come right away.” 

Roy shook his head. “This is just our suspicion. We think they’re waiting for the case to die down so as to not attract the police’s attention.” 

The tall man nodded, stroking his moustache. 

“Considering that the attack was on a prominent family, my team and I have a foreboding sense that they will be after you too.” 

“Me?” His eyebrows shot up in his surprise.

Roy nodded. “Do you have any personal items that could be used against you?” 

Bradley looked baffled and shook his head. “I do, but they are not out in the open, like Olivier’s sword always was.” 

Roy rubbed his chin and looked down. “We are still working on the links, and I do believe that my co-worker is onto something. We should have results within the next week if we are correct.” 

Bradley’s face turned serious and he nodded. “I will be sure to keep my family close if you think they could be in danger too.” 

“I do think it’s related to an item.” Roy raised a finger. “I have been in constant contact with my source in the black market. If things calm down, it’s almost certain that if it’s not ransomed, it will be on the black market. We are playing a waiting game. I would encourage that there be no more parties to avoid anything of extreme value of yours to be in danger.” 

Roy watched as Bradley started to play with his ring and nodded slowly, looking at the large painting. 

As expected, a knock on the door broke the two of their concentration. 

“Come in,” Bradley commanded. Minutely, his eyebrows drew downwards. He wasn’t pleased at the interruption.

“Mr. Bradley,” Riza stepped in.

Roy swallowed shallowly and fought the smile that crept its way to him. He needed to remain professional, no matter how much he wanted to turn to greet her. He had to look seriously at her and pay her little mind.

“I was working on…” She looked at Roy and then back at Bradley, “one of the accounts information has escaped me.” She smiled innocently. “I know it’s in the safe, and I don’t mean to bother you, but I’d rather get this done sooner rather than later.” 

He frowned and sighed heavily. “You should have this on file.” He stood up and walked around the desk. 

“I think I shredded it for confidentiality.” She stepped out into the hallway. “I know Mattison is very particular about their accounts.” 

Roy nodded internally at Mattison Drilling Company. Bradley had been buying their equipment. Riza mentioned that the account information was never kept on hand. Bradley was paying them in cash and it was going to an offshore account for tax reasons. Of course, Riza wasn’t supposed to know any of this. 

“You’re right,” Bradley grumped. “If you don’t mind,” he said to Roy, his tone much more agreeable. “I’ll just be a second.” 

Roy waited till the door had closed, counted to ten, then got up and made a beeline to the cabinet. When he went to open it, it was locked. Riza didn’t say it was going to be locked. 

“Fuck,” he cursed under his breath. He had just a few minutes to spare. He turned to open the drawers of Bradley’s desk, carefully and quietly, as he scanned through one drawer for a key. Nothing. His stomach tightened. He pulled open a second drawer, moving a few files to the side to see if it was at the bottom. Nothing. The pen drawer was next. He moved the pens and letter opener around, growling as he did so. They were so screwed. This unforeseeable hiccup was going to ruin the plan. Solf Kimblee would get the sword on Saturday and Marcoh would be assassinated. And, because it sounded ludicrous and the police chief was paid off, chances were against them that they would even take into account Roy's plea for help. He had to do this.

Roy spun in place, looking quickly around the area. He turned back to the cabinet itself, looking in a basket and between the books. 

“Mr. Bradley,” he heard the receptionist call down the hall. 

Roy stood up straight and dashed to his chair pulling out his notebook to look inconspicuous. Sweat pooled on his brow. This was his one shot, and it was almost blown! His fingers gripped his pen tightly.

“Can this wait?” Roy heard him call back down to her. 

A muffled reply and footsteps trailed down the hall. Roy was up in a flash, taking a second sweep of the room. There was a shelf on the wall. He reached over to it, standing up on his toes to see if the key was sitting on the shelf. It wasn’t. As he turned, he brushed his shoulder against the coat rack, hearing a jingle from within the pocket. He quickly reached into it, fumbling to grasp them. 

He heard Bradley laughing and saying something else. There weren’t footsteps though, not yet. 

Roy rushed over to the cabinet, looking through the keys and praying to any God that listened that the correct one would be there. A small brass key stood out and he pressed against the lock with shaking hands. The key went in, and with a turn it clicked unlocked. There, just as Riza has said, the sword was perched. He grabbed it and took long strides to the window. He, again, fumbled to get the window open, hearing Bradley laugh again. Roy’s ears strained to listen for footsteps. The window opened, being propped up. Roy slid the sword out, taking a peek down to see a blonde head below him smoking. He felt sweat dripping down his temple as he whistled. Jean looked up, Roy dropped the sword. 

“I completely agree,’ Bradley said seriously, a few steps being heard. “If you don’t mind, let me finish this meeting, then I will be happy to sit down and talk with you.”

Roy slipped the window closed, turning to dive silently for the cabinet. A few more footsteps. He counted them, hearing them get closer to the door. 

Roy turned the brass key, locking the cabinet, but he knew he wasn’t going to get the keys to the coat in time. Instead, he shoved them in his pocket and slid into his seat. He crossed his legs and opened his notebook with pen in hand, swiping across his brow and down his temple. He quickly scribbled something on his paper, pretending that he’d been doodling the entire time. It looked like one of the fir trees in Bradley’s painting.

“My deepest apologies,” Bradley said as he opened the door. “Today is a busy day. I’m sure your Fridays can be hectic too.” 

Roy turned and chuckled. “Trying to wrap up loose ties before the weekend? I completely understand,” he assured him.

Roy put the notebook in his lap and watched the thickly built man sit at his desk, brushing his moustache with his fingers. “As you were saying?” Bradley prompted.

“I don’t want to pry for a description of articles that would need to be protected. I did, however, want to offer you private security.” Roy chuckled to himself. “I did offer it to the Armstrongs, but you know how they are. They were quick to dismiss me, with Olivier telling me to find my sword or get out of the way for a professional.” 

“She is quite forward, isn’t she?” Bradley huffed a laugh. “She can be very intimidating when she’s not getting her way.” He nodded his head, putting his forearms on the desk. “That’s what I’d expect from a woman who was Daddy’s favorite.” 

Roy’s eyebrows rose. 

“That’s why she inherited the sword,” Bradley added, as if it was obvious. “It wasn’t because of her military service.” 

Roy tapped his pen against his knee. “That makes more sense than I thought. Thank you.” He coughed and uncrossed his legs. “As I was saying, I have a good friend who offers private security. I’d be happy to have him take a look around your property or stand post while you are gone or when you need him to, just to be sure of your assets.” 

Bradley held up his hand and shook his head with a kind smile. “That’s not necessary. I will watch and I promise to give you a call the second something doesn’t seem right.” 

Roy bowed his head. “I’m just looking out for you,” he placated. Roy stood, putting the pen in his pocket, letting the notebook fall from his knee and under the eve of the large desk. “I won’t keep you. Your busy Friday can go along without me in your hair.” 

Bradley stood up and walked over to him. He opened the office door and stepped into the hallway with Roy. “I know this case has been going on too long, but I do have faith that you will find and apprehend the criminal,” he assured Roy as they walked. “I’ve heard nothing but great things about your firm.” 

Roy turned and stuck his hand in his pocket. He patted the other pocket, then the first one again. “Oh! I’m sorry!” He turned. “I’ll be right back. I left my notebook.” 

Bradley went to say something, but Roy quickly left him at the front. Once in the doorway, he turned, taking the keys from his pocket and sliding them into the coat. Then took two steps to pick up his notebook. With another turn on his toe, he came from the office, still seeing Bradley at the end of the hall, talking with the receptionist. 

“All this stress,” Roy ran his hand through his hair. “I think I need a vacation.” 

Bradley patted his back. “Don’t we all? Well, I do have property in the south. You should see it sometime. Do you like to hunt? 

Roy nodded. “I’ve been out a few times.” 

“We should go. I have some wheat fields down there that the deer love to graze in. There are some big bucks down south.” 

Roy reached out to shake the man’s hand. “I would like that.” 

“You have a great day, Detective Mustang. Be safe.” 

“Have a good day, Sir,” Roy replied and turned to leave the office but came nose to nose with a man just an inch taller than he. 

He had a plain face with harsh eyes but a mischievous smile. It was a dangerous look; very dangerous. His long black hair was pulled back, slicked so that the hair easily flowed down his back. The smile curled wider as he held out his thin hand. “It’s a pleasure meeting you, Detective Mustang. My name is Solf Kimblee.” 

Roy’s skin instantly scrawled and the hair on the back of his neck screamed Roy to step back from him. Instead, he held his ground and accepted the handshake. “Nice to meet you. Are you meeting with King Bradley or do you just hang out here for the pretty ladies?” Roy glanced at the receptionist with a charming grin. 

She giggled before Solf chuckled. “Mr. Bradley and I have some business to attend to.” 

Bradley nodded as he stepped next to Roy. “We shouldn’t wait. I’m sorry for the delay, Solf.” 

Solf squinted his eyes as he stepped up, next to Roy. “It’s always easier to get the mission completed with a team that’s willing to work so hard for you, isn’t it, Detective Mustang?” 

His shoulders and back stiffened. “A good team always helps,” he said quietly, watching as Solf walked by him and down the hall after Bradley. 

He needed to get out, and fast. 

He wouldn’t stop to breathe till he got to the car. Roy fell into the passenger seat and gasped for air. “That man is intimidating to say the least.” He turned to Jean. “Please tell me you didn’t drop it.” 

Jean jerked his thumb into the back seat. “Who do you take me for? I’m a professional, I'll have you know.” 

Roy glanced back to see the sword sitting on the back seat. He had it. He finally had it. “Ms. Olivier is going to be very happy to see this again.” 

“Marcoh is going to love you even more once he finds out you saved his life.” Jean lit up another cigarette. Roy was certain it was his third one. “We’re still not going to tell him?” 

“If he knows, he’s bound to give away the plan.” 

“Bradley’s going to know that it was stolen, and he’s going to know it was you.” Jean started the car and put it into drive.

“I met Solf Kimblee.” Roy rubbed his face with both hands. 

“You have got to be kidding me!” Jean almost drove into another car. 

“I think he’s onto us.” Roy choked out as he grabbed onto the door handle tightly to brace himself.

Jean laughed nervously as his hands gripped the steering wheel. “At least he won’t kill you until after Marcoh.” 

“That gives me a few days to live.” Roy pinched the bridge of his nose. “Once Ed has the information in a proper report, we can get the documents to the government officials and justice will be served to Raven and Bradley. We just have to get to Monday.” 

“Not even City Police will see it coming.” Jean laughed. “This is getting kind of fun.” 

Roy huffed and looked out the window, loosening his tie and unbuttoning the top button. “Just until Monday,” he muttered to himself.

* * *

Rebecca barely looked up when Roy and Jean walked through the door. “How was it?” she asked, continuing to type on her computer as if they were out for tea. 

“That was the biggest rush I’ve had in a long time,” Jean grinned. 

“You?” Roy turned with big eyes. “All you did was catch the fucking sword!” 

“See,” Ed leaned back in his office chair. “You can have fun doing illegal stuff!” 

Roy growled as he rubbed his forehead, not wanting to admit that Edward was correct. “Do you have that report written?” 

“Almost,” Ed slammed his seat upright and he turned to the computer. “I’ve gotten most of the information compiled.” 

“Just make sure you have evidence for it,” he instructed. “There can be no guessing or assumptions.” 

Ed nodded with a surefire grin and continued to type away on his own computer. 

Roy put the sword down on Rebecca’s desk and made his way to his own. “We can’t tell Olivier where it came from. Not yet.” 

Rebecca stopped typing and turned in her chair. “You’re going to return the sword so soon?” 

Roy nodded. “I will take it to her tomorrow. But if I tell her where it came from, I’m worried things will escalate too fast.” 

“I think you should tell her,” Rebecca argued. “Just explain to her that things are under investigation and you’d rather keep it quiet until the authorities have apprehended Bradley.” 

Roy rubbed his chin, dipping his head as he thought. 

“The last thing we need is Olivier to think that we are harboring the criminal.” 

Roy nodded slowly after some time. “I think you’re correct.” He looked over to the sword. “But we need a plan for the rest of this.”

“The rest of this is getting a case against Raven and Bradley and turning it into the officials.” Jean raised his eyebrow and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. 

“We have to ensure that Solf doesn’t actually get to Marcoh.” Roy argued. 

“We can just turn in this information,” Ed pointed to his computer. “We can go to the police.” 

“Yeah. Because going to the police and telling them a sword that was the key to a secret organization was going to let a murderer into a secret club, and then allow said murderer to assassinate a senator, is a grand idea.” Roy pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned loudly. “They might increase security, but it’s not going to help.” 

“Don’t you have a friend in the police?” Rebecca asked Roy. 

He nodded. “But it’s still not enough for him to even do anything. It’s a conspiracy in a conspiracy. It’s like we dreamt this up. It’s too convoluted. We could go to Marcoh…” 

“If he didn’t go to the meeting, then he can’t get assassinated,” Ed lifted his hands in victory over the problem. 

Jean shook his head. “He’s still in trouble. At least at the meeting, there are other people.” 

Roy sat up straight and pointed to Jean. “Kimblee doesn’t have the key to get into the club, but we need to make sure he doesn’t get in. Jean, you follow him on Saturday, see if he does go into the building.” 

Jean grinned widely. “That’s what I do best.” 

“If he gets into the building without the key, we can confirm that he’s going to assassinate Senator Marcoh. I can call him and order a last minute meeting with him.” 

They all nodded. 

“We can’t get too much information out. We have to collect it just right. Once we have it, I can call my buddy in the police and we can arrest him.” 

“So,” Ed leaned against the desk. “Are we taking Kimblee down now too?” 

Roy looked seriously at Edward, his protégé. “We are going to take all of them down.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was exciting! 👀 Ok, so the chapter summary said field trip, and that doesn't sound exciting, I'll admit, but I couldn't give it away and say that it was heist time now, could I? ;D 
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed that chapter! See you next Saturday for the next one. Have a good weekend <3


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy gives the sword back to Olivier and takes a nice stroll through the park with Riza and Hayate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We get excited every time we get to upload a new chapter! We hope you do too! Get ready for some fluff!

“Ms. Olivier,” Roy greeted. He held up the sword and her hardened gaze relaxed. Only a tiny bit though, but Roy counted it as a win. “I found your sword.”

Her lips curled upwards. It wasn’t a smile by any means, more like an ‘ _ about time _ ’ look, but Roy didn’t care. He was still proud of the job he’d done. She’d basically expected a miracle, giving him nothing to go on at the very start, and he’d delivered. If she’d just told him about the damn Gatekeepers organization, then this could’ve been over with so much quicker. He understood the Armstrong Family’s desire for privacy and the organization’s need for secrecy, but he was a damn P.I. He had more secrets than Olivier Armstrong could ever dream of rattling around inside his head from all he’d seen over the years, and he was a professional. In a way, he was a little insulted she hadn’t given him all the information in the beginning. If she was that desperate about finding the sword, it shouldn’t have been a problem to give Roy all he needed to find the stupid thing. However, it did work in his favour, in a way. It just proved that he was a great private detective because he’d produced a miracle. His reputation was back in top form.

“Thank you, Mustang.”

Roy just knew she wanted to say ‘ _ took you long enough _ ’, but was holding back. Still, as long as he was getting paid and the job was done, he didn't really care what she thought.

Olivier snapped her fingers at the butler who’d escorted Roy inside. It was the same man from before. Roy had called ahead to say he was coming with the sword, so she must have had his payment ready and waiting for him again, because an envelope was presented to Olivier. She took it carefully from the butler’s hands, yet thrust it towards Roy.

“Your payment.”

“Thank you very much, Ms. Olivier.”

“I appreciate the hard work you put into this. It couldn’t have been easy.”

“I had a good team with me, Ma’am,” was his simple reply.

“Well then, you’ve all done me a great service with this. Who had it?”

Roy regarded her for the moment. They’d decided they weren't going to tell her, despite her being involved with the organization, but now that the moment was here, indecision ruled him.

She looked over to her butler, jerking her chin at him. The door opened then closed quietly, leaving the two of them alone.

“You have my word that this conversation is completely confidential. Whatever is said in here will not leave this room.” Her eyes were fierce and it eased his mind, but he still held back for a moment longer. 

“With all due respect Ma’am, please understand, this is currently tied to another investigation I am running. Divulging any information would be a breach of confidentiality on my part.”

“Who had it, Mustang?” Her gaze was sharp and unrelenting. There was no way she’d let it go.

Still, not intimidated, Roy shook his head. He had to play this smartly. “I do not take this kind of thing lightly. I’m a professional and will not jeopardize the other investigation.”

“Raven? He’s always been bitter that I hold a higher social standing than him because of my family name,” she snorted. Olivier crossed her arms and stared Roy down while he remained still and guarded, letting her say her piece. She was giving him this information in the hopes it would ease him even further, and Roy wouldn’t say no to it. If it helped the investigation, then he would eat it up. “The old coot always seems to forget that my family owns this city, no matter how much he and his little band of ‘friends’ seem to think otherwise.”

Now, it was her tone that was bitter. Still, this was going in the right direction. Roy just had to play his cards right. “Oh?” he inquired lightly. “And Senator Raven said you and him were good friends.”

Olivier snorted hard. “Hardly. Only when he needs something are we the best of friends. He tolerates me because if he doesn’t, he’s out.” Her sharp, icy blue eyes met Roy’s, and he knew exactly what she was referring to.

“Out, Ma’am?” he asked, eyebrows drawing together in pretend confusion.

Olivier glanced heavenward. “Surely you’re not that dense, Mustang? This little organization they’re all tied to. I sit at the head of it as the eldest of the Armstrong family, like my father before me. It’s a silly little club, only there to make them all feel special. I couldn’t care less about it, and if it were up to me, it would be gone. I have better things to do with my time than babysit children like that. But,” she sighed. “Because it’s been in the family for generations,” she spat. “It still remains. Waste of time and money if you ask me.”

“You don’t respect Raven?” Roy asked innocently as if he just couldn’t believe that was the truth.

“What tipped you off, Detective?” she smirked, mocking him. “But no, I do not care for him in the slightest. Or about Bradley either. I have no respect for them, because they lied, stole, and cheated their way into that organization. I have no time for people like that.” She leaned forward in her chair, her expression almost predatory. “I will ask you one more time, Mustang. Who had the sword?”

“Bradley,” he answered, confident this time.

She snorted and sat back. “That little snake. What did he want it for?”

“We do not have clear confirmation of that yet Ma’am. We’re still building a case for it so we can hand it over to the correct authorities. However, rest assured, once my team is finished and the offenders have been apprehended, I will happily tell you all about it.”

She tried to stare him down but it wouldn’t work. Until they got this fiasco with Bradley and Kimblee sorted out, there was no way he was going to start talking about it. He didn’t trust Olivier completely, however, he trusted her enough to share part of the truth. Until then, he had to play it safe. He had to protect his team.

“This better be worth it,” she muttered.

“I like to think so Ma’am,” he managed to get out without gritting his teeth.

“Fine,” she sighed. “You still got the sword. That’s all that matters to me right now. Your payment is secured in the envelope,” she announced. “Along with a little compensation.”

Roy’s eyebrow lifted at the mention of there being extra payment.

“I had a feeling that the organization would be behind this little game, so wanted to ensure you were paid accordingly. Dealing with that lot can be insufferable for me. I dread to think what you had to endure.” She waved him away from her desk. “I expect a full report once this is over with. I want to know who I need to kick from my order.”

“I can assure you, I will report back as soon as I’m able.”

The butler greeted him outside the door, his face expectant.

Roy relaxed. Now that was over and done with, his mind was eased somewhat. The weight of the sword itself was off his mind and he was in Olivier’s good books. That wasn’t important, but after talking with her, he didn’t feel in any danger. He couldn’t rule anyone out, but he felt safe enough from her wrath on the Gatekeepers counsel. Still, one person, no matter how high their standing was with the rest of the members, couldn't do much against the influence of many. They still had to be cautious.

But that was a problem for tomorrow. He forced it out of his mind as he was escorted back to his car because he had a lunch date with Riza to focus on instead.

* * *

“You know that there are other restaurants and eateries in the city, don’t you?”

Roy turned in his chair and spotted Riza grinning at him as she rounded the table. She took a seat, placing her purse on the table next to her latte and a pastry Roy had picked out for her again. Like always, she was gorgeous. He’d never feel any other way about it. She hypnotized him with every step. Her hair was pinned up in a clip today and her bangs fell over her eyes. She wore a plain white t-shirt with a blue and white checkered collared shirt on top. The outer shirt was unbuttoned and left open, flapping as she moved. Her jeans matched the colour blue of her shirt perfectly, leaving her looking like a vision.

“I know there is, but maybe I wanted to bring it back to where it all started,” he grinned cheekily. “Plus, I know Metric Coffee is good. I couldn’t live with myself if I took you somewhere new and we ended up drinking swill.”

Riza laughed, covering her mouth with her hand, her smile reaching her eyes. “I suppose I can forgive you then, with that reasoning.”

“One last hurrah,” Roy toasted as a joke, lifting his coffee cup in the air.

She shook her head fondly. “Let’s hope it’s not the last hurrah. You picked out a good restaurant for dinner last time, I would love to see what other recommendations you might have in store for me.” Her cup tapped his regardless and she took a sip. Savouring the flavour, she hummed to herself and returned the cup to the table. “Thank you for these,” she smiled, gesturing towards the pastry. “You didn’t have to.”

“I know, but I wanted to. Call it a gift for all your help.”

Her eyes wandered up to meet his. He’d vowed there would be no talk of work, and he planned on sticking to it, but still, it was nice to show his appreciation. Hell, if this all went south and he ended up dead or in prison, he wanted to at least give her that. Roy would’ve preferred it to be a grander gift, but time was a luxury that he didn't have.

“You’re sweet,” she commented. “Thank you. But I was just doing a service to the city,” she added. Her hands crossed over on the table and she leaned forward. “Did you get the sword back to Olivier?”

“I promised no work talk,” Roy lifted a hand, halting her. “And I promise to keep it that way. I owe you that.”

Her expression turned inquisitive. “You don’t have to,” she argued. “We can talk about it.”

“The last time we were together, I dragged you to my office, leaving you overwhelmed and caught up in my mess. All the other times, I’ve been discussing… that thing,” he added with emphasis. “And it kind of ruined the mood.”

“You didn’t ruin the mood,” she shook her head. “Our first dinner was great. You’re clearly very passionate.”

Roy opened his mouth to continue but paused when he caught the look in her eye. There was a hint of a smirk on her face as she lifted her cup for another drink. He caught the double meaning behind her words. She was going to be the death of him, he swore she would. 

“And Thursday was lovely,” she continued as if nothing was amiss. Roy’s breath had been stolen from him by her, so she continued talking. “Honestly, it was. I had such a good time with you.”

Roy swallowed. The thought of her hand on his arm, her lips pressed against his cheek, made his blood run hot. He could have a hundred of those moments and he’d still let his cheeks grow hot with affection.

“So, no last hurrah, alright?” she scolded lightly. 

He nodded eventually, his mind still swirling with thoughts. “Right.”

“So, where to after this?” she asked.

“The park?” Roy offered. “It’s a nice day. We could walk Hayate if you wanted?”

“That would be great,” she smiled warmly. “He’s waiting outside for us, actually. I figured if we were going to be out all day, it would be worth bringing him along.”

“That makes it easy,” Roy chuckled. “I’m sure Hayate would love a good walk in the park.” 

They finished their pastries and picked up their cups to go. Hayate greeted Riza eagerly as soon as she stepped outside. His tail wagged back and forth with force to hit his sides. His butt followed suit, tongue hanging out with a wide canine smile. Roy had to admit that Hayate looked like the happiest dog in the world just then. He sniffed around Roy’s feet before looking up at him, his tongue lolling from his mouth. 

“Hey, buddy,” Roy greeted. He crouched low, scratching him behind the ears. The small dog’s eyes closed in his happiness, tilting his head into Roy’s hand. When Roy stood up, he then rubbed his head against Roy’s shin.

“He likes you,” Riza giggled.

“Thank you, Boy,” Roy grinned. “I like you too.”

Hayate barked once, backing up from Roy and wagging his tail.

The sun high in the afternoon sky, warming their skin as they walked. Roy felt a surge of deja vu flow through him, as well as the realization that the last time they’d walked through, it had been a simpler time in his life. So much had changed in such a short period of time, yet Riza was still by his side.

They walked side by side as they followed the paved path through the trees. It was a beautiful day to be outside. It was a beautiful day to be with her. Their steps synced as they made their way around towards the pond at the center. Roy held his hands in his pockets, watching hers sway at her sides. Her posture was perfect, and the sun hit her eyes perfectly that they sparkled. His heart fluttered, actually fluttered, in his chest. She was right there, right next to him. 

He looked over at the shaded grass, then to the pond where some ducks swam. His feet stopped, and he watched as two children ran to the pond with happy screams and cries. He couldn’t help but smile. It was just a perfect scene, something that he needed to see in all his stress and all his worries, to know there was something so innocent that existed. 

“Hayate loves to swim.” He felt a hand on his back over his shoulder blade. He felt himself inhale sharply at the contact. “Problem is, he also likes ducks.” 

It made him laugh. Hayate was not a big dog. Roy would even guess the geese would be more aggressive and far more of an opponent than Hayate could be to the ducks. “Does he fetch sticks?” 

Riza shook her head, the hairs in her clip swaying back and forth. “I think that’s too boring for him.” He felt her fingers drizzle down his shoulder. 

Roy made an ‘O’ shape with his mouth and nodded slowly. He tossed his head towards the pond. “Well, if Hayate likes ducks, let's go see the ducks.” 

“Hayate,” she said as she looked at the dog. “Can you behave?” 

The dog barked once before following dutifully behind his master. 

He steered her to a bench, sitting down to watch some kids feed the ducks, Hayate watching with eager eyes. Roy watched from the corner of his eyes as Riza watched the children. Then he glanced down at her hands, lying peacefully in her lap. How he wanted to hold them, to tell her how much she meant to him. And she did. Looking down at his own hands, he realized for the first time his hands were uncertain to the extreme. He sighed, looking back at her hands, making his into fists. There was still time. He set his hand down on the bench, leaning on it with a sigh. 

“It’s nice to just sit with nothing on the mind,” he murmured. 

Before he could look back at her, her hand rested on his. His heart leaped into his throat and his cheeks flushed red. She looked down at it, her fingers stroking the outside. His pinky finger twitched once on its own accord.

“I agree,” she replied softly.

He couldn’t think of much else to say after that. Roy didn’t particularly have anything to say when he’d initially spoken, he was just happy to exist at the same time and in the same space as her. Riza’s company was something he’d come to cherish, and it was lovely to have a moment all to themselves.

So… he didn’t say anything. He simply enjoyed being with her. A few moments passed and Riza shifted. Roy’s breath caught and disappointment threatened to flare up when he thought she might be removing her hand, but she shifted closer to him. It left their hands in an uncomfortable position, so she snaked her fingers underneath his palm and gripped it tightly. Roy hung on for dear life as he fought to remember how to breathe. 

“Did you have any other plans after the park?” she asked. Riza looked ahead, watching the ducks swim with a small smile on her face.

“I don’t know…” Roy coughed. “Would you want to do something after the park?” If that offer was on the table he’d absolutely take it. 

“I’m free all day. I’d be happy to do something with you.”

“Okay then,” he bobbed his head. “Dinner?” They’d just had lunch so dinner was a while off, giving them plenty of time to spend together. Butterflies fluttered inside his stomach the prospect of getting a whole day with Riza.

“Sounds perfect,” she grinned.

“You can choose this time,” Roy offered. His heart was hammering inside his chest, his excitement almost becoming palpable. He hoped his hand didn’t start sweating.

Riza laughed. Her head tipped back and he was caught once more, staring at her. The sound of her laughter was like string melodies to his ears. “Hm, deflecting the pressure are you? Where to go…?” She pressed her pointer finger to her chin, thinking about her answer. 

“There’s no pressure,” he chuckled. “I promise. I just want to see where you want to go, what you like to do.”

“There’s a lovely Xingese restaurant I like to go to. It does take out, but we can dine in.”

“Sounds wonderful,” he replied truthfully.

They remained on that bench, holding hands, as they watched the world go by around them. His mind was tempting him to people watch, just like he’d done the day he’d spoken to Riza properly, but Roy resisted the urge. That was for when he was bored and wanting to pass the time. In this moment, he wanted time to stretch on forever, and he was far from bored. 

As they held hands, all his worries slowly melted away. All thoughts of his meeting with Olivier that morning faded away. The uncertainty and anxiety of what the next week would bring with Bradley and Kimblee disappeared. All that existed in his mind and in his heart was Riza.

And he was more than alright with that.

He instead played with the thought of them standing up, him turning Riza to face him as he cupped her face and tried for a third time to kiss her. His fingers would slip behind her head, while his other hand would support her face. His body ached to think of her hands pulling his jacket to bring their bodies closer. The cool breeze would rush over them, and he’d take what would be the first breath of his life after parting from her. Instead, Roy took a deep breath and looked away nervously. 

Beside their bench, Hayate remained vigilant, staring the ducks down as they moved with ease through the water. Every so often Roy would catch movement out the corner of his eye, seeing the dog shift forward, like he wanted to go and sniff about the birds or play in the water, but he remained in place. Only one whine left his throat, but he was silent after that.

“Poor dog,” Roy chuckled as Hayate stood from his perch, instantly alert. A duck was waddling over to him. The dog whined quietly. “Perhaps we should let him run around for a bit?”

Riza agreed, standing from her seat. Her hand left his grip and Roy was instantly disappointed. It had felt so right in his grip. So soft and so warm. Like a petulant child, he wanted it back.

“Come on, Hayate,” Riza commanded softly. She began to walk slowly, but Hayate stared the duck down instead. After a quiet whistle, he eventually began to move, but his intense gaze remained on the duck for a moment longer.

“The dog park?” Roy asked. “Then he’ll have some friends his own size to play with.”

It was his turn and Roy reached out for her hand, smiling at her when she looked over at him. But neither parted. They just turned back down the sidewalk and continued to make their way to the dog park. 

* * *

Roy took a deep breath. Something had indeed remained on his mind, and it needed to be said. They’d just entered his car and he was going to drive her home for the night after an exquisite dinner. “Riza?”

She turned her head to face him, her face expectant.

“I… I know I said no work today, and I meant it, but…” He bit his lip then sighed heavily. “Can I get this off my chest?”

“Yes, of course.” Her tone was sincere and she turned to face him completely in the chair.

“I’m worried about you,” he admitted.

“Why?” Her question wasn’t accusing, just curious.

“This thing with Kimblee… They have no reason to suspect you but… I’m still worried.”

“Do you know something I don’t?”

“I met him on my way out of Bradley’s office. I think he knows something, and I’m worried he knows about you.” Roy tightened his hands on the steering wheel. “I worry about you. I’m worried for your safety. They could link all this up to you with you being in accounting.”

Her gaze dropped to her lap. “That’s why I came to you and was so open with you in the first place. I trust you, Roy,” she lifted her gaze to meet his. “I trust you’ll do right by the people who will be affected by all of this. I wanted… No, I needed to know that if anything did happen to me, the information would fall into the right hands. But I’ll be fine,” she reassured him.

It wasn’t enough for Roy. A large part of him was screaming at him to protect her at all costs. It didn’t matter if she said she was going to be okay or not, he wanted to protect her. He wanted her to be safe. “What are your thoughts on me offering you protection? Just until this is all sorted out?”

“Roy,” she began to protest.

“Hear me out. You can stay with me… Or I can get you a hotel room.” He looked at her seriously. 

Her expression was sympathetic. “That’s very kind of you to offer. And I really do appreciate it. But I’ll be okay.”

His shoulders slumped slightly, but he nodded in agreement. “If you ever need  _ anything _ …” He insisted. “Anything…” 

“I’ll give you a call, don’t worry,” she smiled kindly. “And… If I just wanted to talk?” she asked hesitantly, a coy smile working its way onto her lips. 

Roy blinked at her, realizing her insinuation. “Call me anytime. I mean it.” He smiled back at her, thinking of them talking on the phone, thinking that she’d want to talk to him at all. 

She reached over for his hand, which Roy held out eagerly. Hayate pressed his nose through the gap in the seats and sniffed at their fingers, tickling the skin. Riza laughed and reached over to pet her dog, but still kept her hand in his.

“Thank you for today.” She watched him fumble with his keys as he tried to find the right one to put in the ignition. Her head tipped to the left, her temple resting upon the headrest. “I had a really lovely time. And I’d love to do it again.”

He flashed her a grin, then his phone went off in his pocket.

“Always when we have a nice moment,” he muttered to himself as he reached for his pants pocket. Riza just laughed beside him. “Hey, Rebecca,” he greeted, lifting his car key to slide it into the ignition.

“Roy?” Rebecca was almost hysterical on the other side of the phone.

He was instantly alert. His hand froze in mid-air. “Rebecca? What’s wrong?”

“Oh my God, Roy, thank God.” Her breath hitched as she babbled nonsense.

Roy glanced over at Riza, his eyes wide with… fear. Her face was concerned, not having heard Rebecca, but she’d managed to pick up that whatever she was calling about was urgent from his tone.

“Rebecca, what’s wrong? What’s happened?”

“He’s been shot,” she choked out, and Roy’s world stood still.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhhh holy crap? At least he had a good day with Riza, right? 
> 
> We have been so honored by all of your comments and kudos. It fuels us. We have been overwhelmed with the love that you readers have in it. Both of us wanted to thank you for everything you have given us. Story isn't over yet! There's still quite a bit to get into. Afterall, the conspiracy is being unraveled. Thank you for being readers! Don't forget to leave a comment and say hi. YOu can check us out and say hi to us on Tumblr at @snowdog49 and @jeanhaavoc. We'd love to hear from you! See you next week!


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy and Rebecca take a trip to the hospital

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The wait is finally over after that cliffhanger ;D

One of Roy’s legs bounced impatiently as he waited. With his elbows resting on his knees, he’d leaned forward in his chair with his hands clasped before his mouth. His grip was tight but he didn’t really notice. Apart from the bouncing leg, he hadn’t moved since he’d sat down. He was wound up, adrenaline running on high, but unable to move or spend any energy. There was nowhere for him to go anyway.

Beside him, Rebecca wasn’t faring much better. She shifted every now and then, but mostly she remained still and chewed on her lip and the nail of her thumb. Roy wanted to comfort her, should comfort her, but there was nothing he could do. Not yet, anyway. He only knew as much as her, so it was just a waiting game until someone arrived and told them something, anything.

The wait was killing him. Roy needed to know. His fist tightened, knowing that he’d ordered a move that resulted in the pain of another person, let alone a co-worker. He couldn’t even do anything about it. It was eating at him, guilt swirling around his body. He should’ve been there. It should’ve been him. He didn’t even know what happened.

‘He’s been shot’. The words felt heavy as Roy played with them in his mind, and they made an uncomfortable weight settle inside his stomach. He hated them. A fury burned inside his chest with a passion. How dare this happen? Not only that, but there was nothing for him to go on. He was a detective. It was his job to know things, to find out things, and he couldn’t even do that for someone he cared about.

His arms lowered slowly, almost creaking after being held tensed for so long. His elbows dug into his knees almost painfully.

“The patient is ready to see you now,” a nurse called gently to them both.

Before Roy had even registered what was said, he was up and out of his chair. He’d been wired sitting there, doing absolutely nothing, so that when he did finally move and was given direction, he was like a tightly coiled spring finally releasing.

Turning, he ushered Rebecca forward first as the nurse walked ahead, escorting them both down the hallway. Roy steeled himself, stepping into the hospital room with anticipation crawling all over his skin. He didn’t know what he would see and wasn’t quite as mentally prepared as he’d liked to be for seeing the worst.

“Hey guys!” Jean cried happily. He was lying in the bed with a dopey look on his face. He grinned at them, offering a clumsy wave with one hand. The other was trapped in a sling across his body. Roy’s eyes caught movement from the IV needle in Jean’s arm, noticing how it flailed around.

“Careful, Mr. Havoc,” the nurse admonished. She hurried over and gently restrained his arm, lowering it back down to the bed so she could check the needle’s placement. 

Jean’s head craned around her hands to look at it. Then he giggled. “Oops. Sorry!” 

“It’s fine, Sir. Just be careful.”

Roy didn’t blame the woman for batting Jean’s hands away as he tried to poke at the needle. She was just trying to do her job and Jean was off his face on drugs, messing about with all her hard work. He was half tempted to believe Jean was fine since he was in such a good mood. 

“He’s on quite a bit of morphine,” the nurse explained as she walked away. Roy noticed she didn’t turn her back on her patient and kept an eye on his IV. Jean was just grinning back at them, perfectly at ease. “But that will wear off soon. If he starts poking at that needle, the machine will beep.” She gestured towards Jean’s bed. “If it does, come and find me.” She closed the door softly behind her, giving them some privacy.

“Hey, Jean,” Rebecca greeted as she walked towards the bed. 

“Rebecca!” He was ecstatic to see her. “I love you,” he crooned. He leaned onto his good side, obviously looking for a kiss.

Roy felt relief wash over him, seeing Jean awake and talking. Even if he was drugged up. He was alright at least, and he was safe.

“I love you too,” Rebecca replied. Her voice was soft and she gripped his hand tightly, the whites of her knuckles showing. “Are you alright?” 

“Feel fine!” he grinned. “This stuff they have me on, it’s great! I can’t feel my face though…” He trailed off, suddenly looking very troubled. His mouth was closed, but suddenly his lips were pushed outwards as he ran his tongue over his teeth. Jean shrugged, and the grin was back. “Nah, can’t feel it.”

“Do you remember what happened?” Roy asked. He needed to now. He needed to know who he needed to find. 

“Roy! Roy Boy. Mustang.” Jean cackled to himself, drawing out the ‘a’ in his surname, finding it hilarious. It was like he was drunk.

“Hey, Jean,” Roy smiled softly. “It’s good to see you.”

“You too! I can’t feel my teeth,” he snorted, giggling to himself. At least he was in good spirits, even if it was the morphine talking. “Wait, we’re missing someone.” Jean leaned onto his bad side to look at the door behind Roy and froze. His expression turned into a grimace.

“Careful!” Rebecca quickly grabbed his shoulders and righted him, moving his weight off his injured side. “Are you okay?”

“That hurt,” Jean mumbled. His loud, jovial tone was gone. He suddenly sounded like a small child after they’d fallen over and hurt themselves.

“Take it easy, man,” Roy commanded gently. He pulled the one chair in the room over to Jean’s bedside and motioned for Rebecca to sit. “We’re all fine, I promise. But more importantly, how are you?”

“Sore… but this stuff I’m on is really good. It’s helping.” That rush of pain he’d received from being too overeager had sobered Jean up a little, and his demeanor was much calmer. He still looked slightly crazed, but he was acting less like an excited puppy and more like his old self.

“Good, that’s what’s important. Just take it easy.”

“Everyone else is okay?” Jean asked earnestly. “No one else is hurt?”

Rebecca and Roy shared a look.

“Does anyone have a reason to be?” Roy asked carefully.

“I… I don't know. But Ed’s not here…” He looked like he was about to cry.

“Honey, Ed’s fine. He’s at home. Nothing has happened to him.”

“Are you sure?” Jean’s eyes were wide, and that was when Roy became concerned.

“We’re sure,” Rebecca reassured him, giving his hand a squeeze.

His whole body sagged and Jean relaxed further into the bed. “Okay,” he mumbled. “Okay, good.”

Roy turned, lightly touching Rebecca’s shoulder. “I’m going to go and find another chair. Look after this dummy for me, yeah?”

He noticed the wetness in her eyes which she smiled and nodded gratefully to him.

“I heard that,” Jean muttered.

“Good,” Roy grinned. “I’ll be back in five.”

He said he’d be five minutes, but Roy purposefully waited fifteen before walking back to Jean’s room. He wanted to give them a moment of privacy together. Plus, after Jean’s worried questions, he quickly texted Ed to ask where he was and if he was okay. Roy could almost feel the accusation through the text, but still, it was an answer. A quick reply with ‘no reason’ was bound to confuse and irritate his protege, but it was better than explaining everything over a text. Roy would call him later and fill him in.

When he walked in the room both heads turned to look at him. Their hands were gripped together tightly in Jean’s lap and Rebecca looked like she never wanted to let go. Another grateful smile was shot his way from Rebecca, thankful for the moment of privacy, and Jean looked a lot calmer than he had before. Roy didn’t doubt that she’d caused that. They could both be firecrackers, but Rebecca could calm Jean down with just her touch alone, or a few words. He hung onto every one, like a lovesick man, and Roy had envied it. They were so perfect, and the two honestly deserved each other. It was like they were destined to be.

“So,” Roy announced, sitting heavily on his chair. “What happened to you, man?”

“Kimblee shot me,” he snorted. He didn’t miss a beat with his answer and his face darkened.

Roy’s hands made fists on his knees.

“He caught me following him at this park.” Jean scowled and looked away. “I don’t know how,” he muttered. “This is my specialty, he shouldn’t have been able to notice me.”

Roy shot a helpless look at Rebecca, then back at his friend.

“I know, Hun, but that’s okay. Don’t worry about that right now,” Rebecca reassured him. “What else happened?”

“Can you start from the top?” Roy requested, his tone apologetic. He was clearly all over the place with the morphine, but with a little direction, Roy would be able to get to the bottom of this with Jean’s assistance.

“Right, sorry,” Jean apologized sheepishly. 

“It’s fine,” Roy placated, leaning over onto his arms. “I just need to know the whole story so I can help you.”

“Okay,” Jean sighed. “So I followed Kimblee about. He went into a store. It was just a generic one and I don’t remember the name, before you ask. Then he wandered for a bit towards the address of the meeting, but didn’t go there. It was like he wanted to, but wouldn’t quite go directly. He was speaking on the phone for a short time. He sounded a little agitated but I was too far away to hear what they were talking about. I really did try to listen,” he urged, like a child trying to get an adult to understand them. The painkillers must have been really strong.

“We know you did, Hun” Rebecca reassured him, patting his arm gently. 

“But, I couldn’t hear a thing. I crossed the street and sat on a bench. It was just inside the park, slightly hidden from view where Kimblee was standing. It was the perfect spot too because the building was just around the corner from where Kimblee was standing, so I would be able to see him walking into it without moving. He was on the phone for a while, I can’t remember how long,” Jean shook his head. “I was reading the paper and having a smoke so I didn’t have a chance to check the time. Then, Kimblee hung up and walked towards me.”

“He saw you?”

Jean shrugged. “He must have. I was playing it cool though, just kept reading. Then he stopped, and said my name.”

“... Your full name?” Roy asked. He didn’t like the sound of this.

Jean nodded, and the weight in Roy’s stomach sank even lower. “First and last name. He wasn’t happy. He’d obviously figured out what I was doing. I tried to keep the peace, tell him to calm down, and play it cool. He wouldn’t listen, but he wasn’t talking. He just smiled.” 

“And then?” Roy prompted, his tone gentle.

“Next thing I knew, I was on the floor. It felt as if I got hit with a baseball bat. I didn’t really know what had happened. The bastard was still smiling at me as he lowered the gun. I didn’t quite know what was happening but I was so angry.” Jean’s hand made a fist. “I wanted to get up, off the floor, and punch that smug look off his face, but my body wouldn’t move. Someone was screaming, I think. Kimblee disappeared, walking out of the park and in the direction of the building, so I tried to get to my phone, but I was stuck. Then, I realized I’d been shot.”

“Shit, man,” Roy muttered.

“Getting shot sucks,” Jean groaned, holding his shoulder. “Let me tell you! Fucking hurts.” 

Rebecca sniffed beside him.

“I… I have to ask, sorry, but did he go to the building?” Roy continued after casting a glance over to her.

“He didn’t,” Jean confirmed, sounding completely sure of himself. “While I was on the floor he disappeared, but I saw him cross the street and walk in the opposite direction. I don’t know if he went back later.”

“I don’t imagine he would have,” Roy thought aloud. He leaned back in his chair, bringing a hand to his chin in thought. “You said you heard someone screaming. Who called you to say he’d been shot, Rebecca?”

“The hospital,” she replied, her voice husky. “We’re listed as emergency contacts in each other’s phones.”

“There would’ve been too much attention drawn to the area in order for Kimblee to get inside.” Roy hummed to himself. “Maybe too much for them to even have their little meeting tonight. Did you hear the shot?”

Jean shook his head. “I didn’t hear it. I don’t know why,” he frowned.

“If you heard screaming that meant someone saw you go down. Whether they saw Kimblee’s face or not though…” Roy grimaced. “If the Police Chief is in the pocket of these people, and if that witness went to the police, Kimblee would probably be swept underneath the rug completely.” Roy sighed in frustration.

It was so unfair on Jean to suffer because of this. He’d been innocent! Just sitting on a park bench! And yet the police would ignore it because their chief is comfortable in their pocket.

“You said you didn’t know why you heard the shot?” Roy repeated.

Jean nodded. “Yeah. I just felt a fucking hard hit then I twisted to the side and fell off the bench.”

Roy scrunched his face, noting a tiny red graze by his eyebrow. His face must have scuffed along the ground.

“That could also be why it took you so long to realize what had happened. The gun could have been silenced. I mean, if he was going to shoot anyone who got in his way so openly in a park or on the street, he must’ve had the forethought to silence the weapon -”

Rebecca’s shoulders began to shake. Roy heard her sniff and it stopped his train of thought.

“Becca?” Jean’s voice was full of concern.

“No, it’s fine. I’m fine,” she reassured them, waving her hand in the air.

Roy’s stomach dropped. He’d been too blasé and too insensitive, after all, her boyfriend had just been shot in the street by a hitman and left to die. God, he was the worst.

“No… Rebecca, I’m sorry,” Roy stammered. 

“It’s alright,” she stated firmly. “I’m okay. Keep going, this is important.”

Roy eyed her for a second longer, then looked towards Jean. He was staring at his girlfriend in sympathy.

“Becca?” he called to her. “I’m okay.”

“I know you are,” she smiled, but it wobbled on her face. “I know. It… was just a lot to go through in a short space of time.” She gave his hand a squeeze. “Please, don’t mind me. Keep going.”

“We’ll always keep you in mind, Rebecca,” Roy reassured her. “I didn’t mean to sound so detached about it.”

Jean snorted quietly. “He’s in love with his work, remember,” he joked, trying to brighten the mood like he always did. A Jean Havoc special. “No wonder he can never break out of ‘Detective Mode’. I hope you’re not this way with Riza,” he frowned at Roy, causing a quiet laugh to escape from Rebecca. 

Roy chuckled. “No, I’m not.”

“You’re not, or you hope you’re not?” Jean retorted with shit-eating grin.

“She’s gone back out with me,” Roy replied defensively. “So I must be doing something right.”

“Or she just takes pity on you,” Jean chuckled.

“Listen, you,” Roy bit back, pointing at Jean with his pointer finger. “You just focus on getting yourself better, rather than what’s happening in my love life.”

“Oh!” Jean gasped. “He’s got a love life now.” He grinned at Rebecca. “Our boy is finally growing up,” he sniffed, proud of Roy. “I never dreamed this day would come!”

Looking heavenward, Roy sighed heavily. It was all in good fun, and it had cheered up Rebecca, which was important to him. And Jean was right. He needed to stop being so callous. His friend had been shot. He should forget about the damn case for once in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thanks for reading, as always. We love you! We appreciate you taking the time out of your day to give our lil story a read. Hope you enjoyed that chapter. Feel free to comment and let us know what you think!
> 
> You can come say hi to us on tumblr too, if you'd like! We're at @snowdog49 and @jeanhaavoc
> 
> See you next Saturday for more!! Have a good weekend and a good week <3


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Detective Maes Hughes pays the team a visit while Roy goes over their plan one last time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How is this chapter 15 already?! The time has flown by! Hope you guys enjoy this one!

Sunday was sober. Roy spent most of the day in the office, door locked, as he worked through the day. It wasn’t just about corruption and conspiracies. He distracted himself with other cases. He typed up the final report for the printer case and emailed it out to the client. He also finished a stolen identity case that should’ve been closed and emailed a long time ago. He would have taken a nap, but every time his eyes closed, he could only see Jean in the hospital bed. It would go to be unsaid that he also didn’t sleep that night. He knew he needed it. He needed some kind of rest. Maes and he would surprise Senator Marcoh at the senate building, and wait for the federal police to get there. It’d only be a few minutes, but Roy knew the longest minutes were the few. 

Roy put his hands behind his head as his forehead rested on his desk. His eyes shut tightly as he held back the tears that threatened to fall. It was his fault, it was his order to make, and Jean suffered for it. Jean, the man who could stalk anyone, like a shadow in the night. There was no one else Roy trusted for the job, and now he was sleeping off his pain in a hospital bed. Roy's back shook as he began to sob. No amount of money the Armstrong family could offer was worth this. And Jean following Kimblee wasn’t even part of the official paid job. It was what they'd decided to do themselves. No matter how much the police wouldn’t have believed him, he should've tried to give them the case. 

“ _You never submit yourself to the police_ ,” he heard his mentor in his ear. “ _Private Detectives are there for cases that can’t be solved_.” 

Even if he didn't take the case, it wasn’t like none of this wouldn’t have happened. If anything, he'd deterred the assassination a little longer. He just had to protect Marcoh until the federal police detective offices opened, and Ed could deliver the information. Just until then.

“Just until then,” Roy breathed, taking in a shaky breath. He would make sure that Ed was safe and out of the way, make sure that Riza… Oh no… Riza. The hands on the back of his head squeezed handfuls of his hair. He couldn’t let anything happen to her. He took another breath, deciding to take a moment and collect himself. When he was ready, he’d call her, just to make sure she was okay. 

Roy woke to banging on his office door. He rubbed his eyes, still feeling like shit, but now with a sore back. 

“Let me in,” he heard Edward yell. “I know you’re in there.” 

Roy grumbled. He should be at home, or with his girlfriend, anywhere but at the office. He unlocked the door and opened it slowly. “Go home, Edward.” 

“No,” the blonde man stood his ground. “There are a few more things that can go into that report. I want to look for other email sources for Bradley. I didn’t find an email to Kimblee from the work email, but I’m hoping that I can find a second or a third email source.” 

“You didn’t check this before?” Roy stepped aside to let Edward in. 

“If there's one email pertaining to Marcoh,” Ed stepped through the threshold and quickly walked to his desk. “We can go to the police tonight.” 

Roy shook his head as he shut the door and locked it. “I would much rather turn this all into the federal PD. Maes works for them, and I can trust him. He said we just need enough for an arrest. We have enough on embezzlement alone. Then, from there, the feds can do the rest. I’m not endangering you over another email.” 

Ed waved his hand at Roy. “You’re the one that should go home. You haven’t slept have you?” 

Roy looked away. 

“Seriously.” Ed turned in his chair. “You all think and treat me like a kid, but I’m not. I’m an adult. I’m nineteen, with an associate in computer engineering, and I take care of my little brother. The only reason why I don’t have a bachelor’s degree is because the topic bores me. I’d much rather test out of it all.” He turned back to his computer and typed in his password. “I’m here now, let me play this out for a little bit.” 

“I don’t need you more involved,” Roy said again. 

“I don’t like what happened to Jean anymore -” 

“You have no idea,” Roy growled. 

“No,” Ed turned back to Roy with passion in his eyes. “I don’t. But I’m just as pissed off about it. Jean is a good friend of mine. He’s just as much as a mentor to me as you are! If I have any possibility of putting Solf J. Kimblee in jail faster, you bet my fucking ass I’m going to do it.” 

Roy frowned and trudged back to his desk. There never was any stopping Edward. He sat down at his desk. “When you're done playing around with that, I need you to go over the fraudulent charges case with Mr. Willow. I got an email saying that he’s filing next week. I assured him it’d be in.” 

“Can I use -” 

“Yes,” Roy said, cutting him off. He rubbed the stress lines on his brow. “It’s mostly done. It just needs to be typed out. There’s a form we need to fill, and we can just email that to him.” 

“Whatever you need,” Ed answered, not looking up from his computer screen. 

Roy leaned back in his chair, weaving his fingers together and putting them over his eyes. He took a deep breath. He needed just a little bit of sleep. Just an hour or two. Just enough to be functional. The door was locked, Ed was there, and it was quiet. Just a few hours would do it.

Roy batted his eyes open, looking around. His arms had fallen into his lap and his chin to his chest. Ed hadn’t moved and was scribbling something onto a piece of paper. There was some light music playing, the K101 radio station. He could smell coffee, and it looked like Ed had a cup already. His mouth felt dry and he cleared his throat, getting up to get a cup of joe himself. 

“You snore,” Ed mumbled. 

“Sorry,” Roy replied softly. “How long was I out?” 

“Long enough for me to order dinner. It should be here in a half an hour.” 

Roy looked at his watch. “Four hours?” He looked at Ed with wide eyes. “You let me sleep for four hours?” His voice was hoarse from the snoring. 

“I didn’t want to wake you,” he shrugged in return. “Also, your buddy Maes called. He said he wanted to make sure you were at the office. He’s going to be coming by here soon to talk to you. I told him I’d take a note, but he insisted on doing it in person.” 

Roy poured himself a cup of coffee with a nod. “Yeah.” 

“I have no more cases open. I did find two more email sources on King Bradley. In one of the trash folder on the server was a receipt for 'services'.” Ed’s fingers made quotation marks. “I’m pretty sure he printed it and put the email in the trash. Another email gave me the address of that meeting place… the Gatekeeper’s hideout. But that was all that was in the email.” 

Roy sat down in his chair and rubbed his face. He stared at his phone for a few seconds before picking up the handle and dialing the number that had been on his mind. He heard it ring, and again, feeling as if time was in slow motion. “Pick up,” he breathed. Ed flashed a look at him before returning back to his work. 

“Hello?” 

“Riza,” Roy breathed. “Are you okay?” 

“Yeah, just sitting here sharing a bag of popcorn with Hayate while watching The Ghost of Fever Hall.” 

Roy sighed. “I just wanted to make sure.” 

“Yeah,” she said again. “What’s going on?” 

“It’s complicated,” Roy tried to answer. “Do you mind if I come over later?” 

“Not at all.” She laughed quietly to herself. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had a man at my apartment…. No Hayate, you don’t count.” He could hear the jingle of Hayate’s collar as Riza pet him. 

“Listen, Jean was shot last night,” he explained. 

“Oh my God! Is-” 

“He’s okay,” Roy said quickly, though it was more so he could hear himself say it again. “I’m just worried about you.” 

“Well… I was going to leave the door unlocked for you, but now I won’t.” She snickered. 

“I don’t think you’re taking this seriously,” he grumbled. 

“Roy, I have a gun, and Hayate, believe it or not, is very protective of me.” 

“I’d still like to come over.” 

“What time?” 

“I’m not sure,” he answered honestly. “Maybe around 10?” 

“I can stay up that late.” 

“Thank you,” he smiled. “Thank you.” 

“If that makes you feel better, then I can do that. Is Jean okay?” 

Roy nodded, although he knew that Riza couldn’t see him. “He’s going to be okay. But it was Kimblee who shot him.” 

She hummed into the phone. 

A knock on the door made Roy’s head shoot up.

“Dinner,” he heard Ed yell. “Finally!” 

“I have to go,” he said reluctantly. “Please call me if anything happens.” 

“I promise.” 

“See you later,” he started to stand up. 

“See you, Roy.” 

“Edward, let me pay,” he insisted as he put the phone down. He rushed to the door, pulling cash out of his wallet. The pizza man reached forward, giving Ed the large box. As soon as the door shut though, Roy locked it again. It humored Roy in a way. The glass wasn’t bulletproof, and it was obvious that they were there. The only thing stopping Kimblee from coming to get him was… nothing. Roy’s gun and holster were by the door anyway, far away from his desk.

“I hope you don’t mind,” Ed grinned ear to ear as he opened the box. “I got every topping under the sun.” 

Roy grabbed two paper plates from the little kitchen area they had and tossed Ed one like a frisbee. Riza was safe, he’d gotten a little sleep, and now he was going to eat. Maybe the situation they were in wasn’t good, but at least he was feeling a bit better. 

“So,” Roy said with his mouth full. “We don’t get to talk to you about your personal life,” he looked at Ed. 

“I like to keep it that way.” 

“How long have you known Winry? I’ve met her once, and we know you take her out. How serious is this relationship?” 

Ed glared at him with cheese hanging from his mouth. After a few moments, and Ed had swallowed the mess of cheese, he answered softly, “we’re high school sweethearts.” He set his pizza down and a gentle smile broke his stern features. “We’ve known each other forever.” 

Roy nodded, seeing a part of Ed that he didn’t even think existed. 

“I really want to ask her to marry me, but I want to actually have a stable job, make something of myself… Prove to her that I’m her guy.” 

“If she’s put up with you that long, I’m pretty sure she’ll say yes.” Roy chuckled and took another bite of his pizza. 

Ed snorted. 

Before Roy could give him any other crap, the door snapped, as if someone was trying to open it. Roy got up and peered through the window to see his friend Maes. 

Maes Hughes had been Roy’s friend all throughout school. They’d known each other almost fifteen years. They’d both joined the police force at the same time, however, Roy had begun to lean more towards working privately, before taking the plunge by himself. He had the experience and had slowly built his detective firm from there. Maes worked himself up, joining the federal police only a few years ago as a detective. He was Roy’s guy for things like this, or even unruly natures that required a little bit of law. He should’ve contacted him to begin with, but when Maes and he talked, Maes insisted he have all his information organized so that there was no questioning about it. 

“Yo, Roy!” Maes greeted far too cheerily for Roy’s liking.

“Maes,” Roy greeted tiredly. 

“Wow,” he guffawed. “You look like shit.”

Edward barked out a laugh from his desk, drawing attention to himself.

“Edward Elric, Detective Maes Hughes. Maes, Ed,” Roy gestured half-heartedly between them as a poor introduction. 

Maes shook Ed’s hand eagerly. “I’ve heard many things about you, Edward. It’s good to finally meet you,” he grinned.

“Same to you, Sir.” Ed was actually polite to the man, making Roy frown at the lack of manners he received.

“Sir?” Maes echoed. “Please, call me Maes,” he laughed. 

“Thanks for coming, Maes,” Roy interrupted. 

“How’s your buddy, Jean?” 

Roy’s shoulders dropped but he chuckled. “He’s loopy and hopped up on painkillers. He’s living his best life.”

“And the injury?”

“Through and through. It was in the shoulder. He’ll need physio, but after that gunshot, he’ll be fine.”

Maes nodded. “Shot.” He exhaled air through his nose in disbelief. 

It wasn’t a question, but Roy nodded and confirmed it. “Yeah. By a hitman,” he added.

“A hitman? Jesus,” Maes commented. He ran his palm over his mouth, cupping his chin. He scratched at his stubble. “What have you gotten yourself into this time?”

“Something involving the rich and powerful, unfortunately.”

“Alright,” Maes sighed in resignation. He sat back in Jean’s chair, making himself comfortable. “Start from the top.”

So, Roy did. He told Maes all about the sword and what it meant in the grand scheme of things. His eyes bugged out wide at the revelation of a secret society. Roy assured him they had evidence of it, gesturing towards Ed. Ed tossed his file over to Maes who looked it over quietly. 

“Wow,” he commented simply, staring at the list. “These are pretty big names on here, Roy.” Maes looked sharply over at him, tone full of worry. “And this was why Jean was shot?”

He nodded. “He was tailing Kimblee, the hitman on Bradley’s payroll, to see if he would enter the building for the meeting. He caught wind of what was happening and approached. Jean was doing surveillance and that’s it.” Some of Roy’s anger at the injustice of it all was beginning to show. He clenched his hands into fists. “He had no reason to shoot Jean, but did it anyway.”

“Okay,” Maes nodded. “Now I know you’re crazy, still going ahead with this,” Maes closed his eyes and shook his head. He removed his glasses and began cleaning them.

“It’s not like we can go to the police though,” Edward interjected, speaking for the first time since Roy had begun to spin their tale. “The police chief is being paid off by the same organization.”

“Yeah, but your lives are more important, Kid,” Maes called over to him. His glasses were perched back on his nose. “Do you want to die for this?” he challenged.

“Ed won’t be involved in this plan,” Roy replied. “Just who do you take me for?” he accused with a frown.

“So, who is involved?”

“Just me.”

“Just you?” Maes snorted doubtfully. “And how exactly are you going to take them down alone?”

“I’m going to make sure Marcoh is alright until this can be properly processed. You, for one, know how long the Federal PD can take their time. They won’t rush until they actually see how important this is. So, I will keep an eye on Marcoh until the police get there.”

“Crazy,” he muttered. “I get your desire to help people, Roy, but a hitman is assigned to your target's books, who has already _shot_ your partner, and you’re still determined to dive headfirst into this mess?”

“Someone’s life is in danger. If I can stop it, I have to try to help them.” Roy gestured over towards Ed. He looked worried, glancing back and forth between Roy and Maes with slumped shoulders. “Ed has a full case here, ready and waiting to go to the right people.” He turned and looked directly at Maes. “You’re the only one I trust with this.”

“Gee, thanks,” he muttered. Sighing heavily, Maes closed his eyes briefly. “Damn you and your philanthropist streak. I always knew that would come back and bite me in the ass someday.”

“You’re just that good of a detective,” Roy smirked.

“And this is my reward? You shouldn’t have,” Maes deadpanned, rolling his eyes.

“Let me tell you what I’m thinking.” Roy leaned forward with a heavy sigh.

* * *

Roy stood, looking at the door of the address Riza gave him. He’d never been to her house, never even thought about going to her house, and honestly, he was a little worried about being there. The last thing he wanted was for Kimblee to follow him. He knocked on the door lightly, turning to look around at his surroundings. It was dark, no one around, but that didn’t mean Roy didn’t look extra hard at the shadows. His arm tightened against his rib, feeling his gun press into his side. He wasn’t going to let anything happen to her. He wasn’t. 

Riza opened the door with a smile. She was wearing sweatpants, her hair pulled up, and a baggy t-shirt. “Roy,” she greeted. “I saved you some dinner.” 

“That’s okay,” he chuckled, as he walked in. “I think I ate enough pizza to rival a college fraternity.” 

She giggled and shut the door behind him. “Well, as you can see, Hayate and I are just fine.” 

Roy looked around. She had a nice apartment; a one-bedroom with a small kitchen and a generous living room. A loveseat and a TV, throw blanket, and two decorative pillows. Everything was clean, including the kitchen area that he could see. She must have cleaned up before he got there. He could smell chicken, and although he’d eaten at 7, he still could use some real food. “I might take a little dinner,” he said sheepishly. 

Riza nodded and took a few long strides to the kitchen. “How’s Jean then?” 

“The guy was drugged off his mind when I last saw him.” 

“Lucky guy,” she called from the kitchen. 

“My thoughts exactly,” Roy laughed. He followed behind her, leaning against the wall as he watched her.

“It’s just chicken and rice with some broccoli,” she said as she threw it in the microwave. 

Roy wondered when the last time he had a real meal was? 

“You look like shit,” she laughed. 

“So I’ve been told,” he chuckled back. Third time was a charm. 

“Sit down and relax. I’ll get some food in you and you’ll feel better in no time.” 

In a matter of minutes, Roy found himself on the couch, eating chicken, rice, and broccoli, Riza sitting next to him as she flipped through the channels. It was a little too unreal for him, especially after the weekend he’d had. Even the conversation was not real to him. She talked easily, reassuring him that Jean would be fine, to how funny Hayate is with his giant stuffed bear. The little dog was curled tightly in his bed by the TV. Maybe it was just him, but as unreal as it was, it felt good. It’d been too long, Roy counted the years in his head since he and his ex broke up, since a girl was sitting next to him in sweats and watching TV with him. It felt… good. 

After he was done eating, Roy stood up to take his plate to the sink but Riza stopped him. She took the plate and without a word, went to the sink where she rinsed it and put it in the dishwasher. 

“You know,” he cleared his throat. “I really think that you should not be here… At your apartment, I mean.” 

“You’re here,” she jested from the kitchen. 

“Let me get you a hotel room for tonight. Somewhere they don’t know where you are.” 

“Roy,” she said as she walked out from the kitchen. “It’s almost midnight. You’re here, and nothing has happened.” 

“He could come at 3 am. The lights aren’t off yet.” 

“You’re worrying too much.” She leaned down at his level and poked his forehead gently. “It’s showing.” 

Roy instantly huffed and waved her hand from his worry lines. “I care about you,” he admitted firmly. 

“I know,” she nodded. “And I care about you too. But I’m going to be fine.” 

Roy looked around and bit his lip nervously. It still wasn’t safe. 

“How about,” Riza said gently as she sat next to him. Placing a hand on his arm, she said, “you just stay with me? I know for a fact that this couch is pretty comfortable.” 

Roy blushed. “No,” he shook his head. “That’s not-” 

“Not what?” She tilted her head to the side. “You’re not sleeping in my bed,” she laughed loudly. “Here,” she stood back up and waved for him to stand up too. 

Roy stood up slowly, raising his eyebrow. 

Her hands carefully ran up his shoulders and Roy felt his body tremble to fall. This was far too intimate for his liking. He already wanted to press her against a wall, make her moan and make her… He shook his head. He wanted to kiss her. Instead, he stood still, frozen in place by her actions. Carefully, she pulled his jacket off, folding it over her arm and placing it on the coffee table. She did the same action to his holster, but this time Roy assisted her, taking the gun out and placing it separately on the table. 

“There,” she whispered, stepping closer to him. “Now take your shoes off.” 

Roy did as he was told, flipping them off and looking back up at her for his new orders. 

Her fingers pressed him to the side, and Roy fell. How he wanted more than anything to pull her on top of him, to feel her sides, to touch her skin -

As he fell, she arranged the pillows underneath his head and grabbed the throw blanket, tossing it over him. It smelled like her.

"There,” she smiled. “You need sleep.” 

Roy couldn't even form words to argue with her. Instead, he felt his body relax completely and his eyes grew heavy with her command. 

“I’ll watch over you,” she patted his knee and turned off the light. He heard her lock the front door and a light whistle for Hayate to follow her. Roy wouldn’t deny that it was a bit awkward, but it was a moment when he could finally let it go and sleep. He took a deep breath in, letting it out slowly and stared at the ceiling. Just a few hours and he’d be okay, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... The calm before the storm... 👀 But what will that storm be, exactly? 👀 Tune in next week to find out!
> 
> Thank you all again for reading. It makes our day! Any comments and thoughts are always much appreciated too.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their plan is set in motion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it! The penultimate chapter! Hold onto your butts!

Roy woke to the sound of pots and pans being shuffled. The smell of coffee was strong, and he heard a toaster go off. He wasn’t home. None of that was vaguely familiar to any sounds at home, let alone in the morning. He opened his eyes, feeling one leg bent at ninety degrees with a foot on the ground, while the other remained on the couch. He nodded to himself, letting his arms rise in a stretch and a yawn. He was at Riza’s. Turning he noticed she was already cooking breakfast, still in the sweats she was in when he went to sleep. Her hair was down and wet from a shower. It shined just perfectly in the fluorescent light of the kitchen. He didn’t move, he just took in the sight of her scrambling something in the pan and then turning to the toast. It had to be wondered if she was like this every morning, rising with the sun, which she kindly had pulled the curtains shut for him, and smiled like it too. She looked happy, even content in her task. 

“What time do you work,” he asked with a groggy voice. 

“In two hours,” she answered without looking up. 

“How long have you been up?” 

She slid the eggs onto a plate and looked up at him. “Hayate and I already went for a walk, and I took a shower.” She leaned on the counter, watching him as he sat up with a groan. “So about an hour.” 

“You could've woke me,” he grumbled. 

“You need your sleep.” 

Roy looked on his wrist at his watch. He had to meet Hughes at 8 am. He had an hour to get there. “I don’t have too much time to dilly dally,” he admitted, reaching for his shoulder holster. “But you have to let me repay you somehow.” 

She walked around the kitchen and handed him a plate. “Then eat breakfast.” 

“You’re being too nice to me,” he called to her as she walked away. Although eggs, some fruit, and toast looked way too good to pass up. When was the last time he had a home-cooked breakfast? He needed to make a point of making more food for himself. After the first bite, he had to sit back down. They were the best eggs he’d ever eaten, he swore it on his mother’s grave. The toast was perfect, and he didn’t even think that was possible. When she said she liked to cook, there was no lie in it. She was amazing at it. He took every bite slowly, chewing it, relishing in every tastebud’s celebration of flavor. And he would have asked for seconds too. 

“This is… good,” he commented. He had to hide his groan as flavor burst over his tongue.

“Did you ever doubt my skills?” she asked dryly. “I told you I was into cooking.” 

“Um, I never will again?” he smiled sweetly looking up at her.

Riza laughed and sat down next to him on the couch. She curled her legs underneath her body, leaning on the arm of the chair. She picked at her food innocently, but being this close to her, in her apartment after sleeping over, Roy was sure that she was just as uncomfortable about the environment as he was. It wasn’t like they had anything to be embarrassed about. Still, the awkwardness didn’t dissipate as quickly he would've liked. 

Roy coughed. “I just wanted to apologize for showing up so late last night.”

She glanced over at him expectantly. Her eyebrows twitched downwards in slight confusion.

“I know it’s not the most ideal situation to land yourself in, having me showing up half asleep at your door,” he laughed nervously. He resisted the urge to scratch the back of his neck.

“Roy, you’re fine. I did say it was okay for you to come over, didn’t I,” she reminded him. “If I didn’t want you to come, I would have said no.” She glanced down at her plate with a small smile. “I enjoy your company, so it’s no issue at all.”

Roy coughed nervously, covering his mouth with his fist. “I uh… Can I use your restroom? Then I better get going.” 

Riza nodded and pointed down the hall. "It’s the first door on your right,” she instructed. 

He put his plate down and jumped up. He was so in love with her. He was. He was infatuated with her. And here he was, waking up with her serving him breakfast. He could hardly stand himself. Standing in the restroom he bit his fist with his hand. Why did he have to go? Why couldn’t he just stay and they could make sweet looks at each other? Life was unfair to him once again. Work called, and it wasn’t just work, it was 'Roy Saving the World' day. He washed his hands and stared at himself in the mirror. He had no idea what Riza saw in him, but she made him feel more alive than he had in years. 

He emerged from the bathroom and cleared his throat. “I’m going to go now,” he announced softly, reaching for his holster. “I’ve got to meet Maes at the senate’s house and we’re going to do a sweep of the place.” 

Riza nodded, putting her plate down. 

God, how he wanted to stay. He’d do anything to stay. He reached over and grabbed his gun, checking it to ensure that it was still loaded, and put it in its beloved spot. Then he grabbed his jacket and put it on. “I can’t thank you enough. I will make this up to you.” He looked at the door then back into her brown eyes. “You… You’re amazing. I think you’re really wonderful, and every time I get a chance to tell you, something happens. I’m going to show you one day.” He scratched his cheek nervously. 

Riza walked up to him, pulling on his jacket as if she was fixing it. “How about you just make it back alive?" Her hand patted his chest above his heart. 

Roy couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m sure I’m going to be okay.” He wasn’t thinking about anything else but the way her hand felt on his sternum, and the way she looked up at him. Their bodies pressed against each other - 

She said again softer. “Just come back and we can go to an uninterrupted dinner.” 

“God,” he laughed. “Wouldn’t that be a thing!” 

Riza smiled and Roy smiled back. It wasn’t anything he could help, she brought it out of him so easily. The world with her was full of smiles. With her by his side, he was the happiest he’d been in a long time.

As he turned to take a step towards the door, her hands grasped his jacket tighter and pulled at him. Roy turned his head to ask her what was wrong when her lips met his. At first, Roy stood there with his eyes wide and in shock, but when he felt her pull him closer, and his bottom lip slip along hers, he pressed back. His eyes closed and his arms wrapped protectively around her, sealing them together. There was no guess to how long the kiss actually was. God knew, but Roy did not. 

When Riza did pull back, Roy was frozen with his head forward and his body aching for more. He just stared at her, his dark eyes begging for her to come back. She smelled like the lavender of her shampoo, and her lips tasted like the blueberries that were for breakfast. She leaned up once more to kiss him shortly, a peck of love, and whispered, “just come back.” 

Roy remained frozen, blinking at her. His brain was stuck in place, like a record. He couldn’t make himself function. His lips and hands were still wanting. His head swayed forwards slightly, eager for more, and his hands clutched at her waist tightly. He never wanted to let her go.

“I promise,” he managed to force out. His voice was hoarse. Every emotion inside his chest was threatening to burst forth. Love washed over him as he looked into her caramel eyes, feeling relief follow soon afterward. He lifted a hand to cup her cheek, his thumb stroked over her cheekbone. Riza shivered but never broke eye contact with him. The pressure from her fingers increased against his sides. “I’ll come back to you, Riza.”

Her head dipped and she wrapped her arms around him tightly in a hug. Her head found his shoulder as Roy moved his hands to wrap around her back. Life was, once more, unfair as it tried to tear him away from this moment; but it did give him something to look forward to once it was all over. He would hold onto this moment with Riza, focus on it and hold it dear to his heart, forever. Whatever happened today, he would focus on getting back to her.

“Be safe,” she whispered into his shoulder.

“I thought you said I had nothing to worry about?” he chuckled lightly.

She pulled back, and Roy saw concern in her eyes. “Still, the sentiment remains the same.”

“Okay, I will. Just for you,” he quipped, trying to lighten the mood a little.

Before he could pull away, Riza grasped the lapels of his jacket, pulling him back to face her. “For both of us,” she replied firmly.

Roy turned before his body forced him to stay and grabbed the door handle. He opened it and took a step out, stopping for a moment, before continuing. It was now or never. Just a few hours until Edward could get the documents to the feds, just until help could arrive. He could do it.

* * *

The lawn at the government buildings was still wet with dew as he marched through it. Maes stood at the top of a few stairs, watching him as he looked over the area. The man was just as diligent as Roy, just as observant. The big difference was who he was working for and the pension after 30 years. Roy was going to miss that pension but if he kept finding things for the Armstrong family, he might not need one. 

“All is quiet on the western front,” Maes said as Roy arrived next to him. “You don’t look like such shit. You must have finally gotten some sleep.” 

Roy nodded, putting his hands in his pockets. “Yeah, I did.” He tried his best not to blush at the thought of waking up to Riza making breakfast.

Maes nodded and turned to lead the two of them up the stairs. "The building just opened. We can run through it and check for explosives. Marcoh should be here any minute. I heard they are starting just after 9.” 

“That gives us just over an hour!” 

“Then step it up, Mustang!” Maes grinned. “Don't tell me you’re getting old!” 

Roy frowned. He grumbled something before opening the doors to the senate. “Old my ass,” he mumbled. 

Row after row they walked. Roy ran his fingers under the desks while Maes checked under the chairs. Meticulously they searched every spot around Marcoh’s area. There was nothing. There wasn’t even dust. It made Roy even more nervous. A bomb would have been nice. Then the whole day would be called off… but the chaos would give Kimblee a chance… Roy grumbled. Nothing was going to make today okay. 

“What are you moaning about?” Maes laughed quietly from across the room.

“I’m not moaning,” Roy defended.

“You’re grumbling like an old man.”

Roy grit his teeth. First Ed with the grey hair comment, then Maes getting on about his age. 

“I’m not grumbling,” Roy snapped back.

“If you say so,” Maes replied, his voice taking on a sing-song lilt.

“I just…” Roy straightened, huffing in frustration. “I can’t seem to find anything.”

“That’s a good thing,” Maes countered. “You know that, right?”

“Yeah, of course it is, but…” He sighed, checking over the last desk. “A bomb would've been easy.”

“Do you really want to find a bomb in here?” Maes asked.

“It would've made calling everything off easier. It would've made the protection detail much easier too.”

“Always looking for the easy way out,” Maes joked with a smirk.

Roy scowled at him.

“Relax, it'll be fine. This isn’t our first rodeo, and won’t be the last,” Maes replied, waving his hand carelessly in the air. “There’s not going to be a shootout in a public building.”

“Jean was shot in an open area,” Roy countered. “We don’t know what the thought process is here.”

“No, but if these people really want to remain discreet, they won’t start something like that,” Maes reiterated. He’d finished checking the chair and was now lounging against a desk, his hip popped to lean against it.

The door opened across the room and Roy, being on edge, turned sharply. Senator Marcoh stepped through, looking rather surprised at the two men’s presence. He froze in place, keeping a tight grip on files underneath his arm.

“Gentleman,” he greeted with uncertainty. His grip on the door increased.

“Senator Marcoh,” Maes greeted immediately. “I apologize for the sudden appearance,” he stated. Maes reached into his pocket for his badge and Roy straightened, approaching him as well. “My name is Detective Maes Hughes with the Federal Police Department. This is my colleague, Detective Roy Mustang.”

Both men flashed their badges at a rather bewildered Marcoh. “Oh, hello. Can… Can I help you at all?”

“We’re here to assist you today,” Roy intervened.

“Assist me how?” Marcoh questioned.

“Do you have an office where we could possibly discuss things?”

Marcoh shook his head. “I’m afraid not. Not here.”

“This room will be alright then for now, won’t it Detective?” Maes questioned Roy directly.

“Of course.”

Marcoh walked forwards, placing his paperwork on the desk with his name plate attached to it. He shifted through them all, getting them into some kind of order as quickly as he could. “I apologize, this will only take a second. I’m happy to assist you, gentlemen, but I hope you can understand that I have a long day of meetings ahead of me and I need to be organized.”

“Of course, Sir,” Roy reassured him. “Take all the time you need.” He watched the doors, readying for the next person to come through. It was a tight area though, and it made Roy incredibly nervous. If Kimblee did come through the doors, there’d be nowhere to go. Maes must have felt the same way because when Marcoh stood Maes pointed him out the hall. 

“If you please,” he motioned. 

“What's this about,” Marcoh asked, concerned, not expecting to be removed from the room. 

“There’s been a security concern,” Maes answered in a hushed voice. 

“What?” Marcoh stopped in his steps. “About me?” He seemed doubtful.

Roy nodded. “Yes, we believe someone is targeting you, Sir.”

“What for?” he asked, incredulous.

“About this proposition for the west, concerning the land Bradley is interested in.”

Marcoh frowned. “I’m not happy with it, I admit, but… What comes to pass, comes to pass. I will continue to fight for bettering our country regardless.”

“That’s what we’re worried about, Sir.”

“Right,” Marcoh demanded, stopping in his tracks. Maes and Roy turned to face him. Frustration bloomed in Roy’s chest. They needed to move and get him somewhere safe, and he was halting that progress. “Tell me what’s going on. Right now.”

“Sir, we’re trying to, but it’s not safe here -”

Marcoh frowned suddenly. His mouth parted, but he didn’t say a word. Instead, he continued to stare past them, even craning his neck to look over their shoulders. Then, his face fell.

Roy turned first, before Maes, and saw Kimblee. He was walking towards them, smiling. The predatory expression on his face reminded Roy of a shark, slowly moving its way towards its prey. Without thinking, Roy reached for his holster but didn’t even get close.

Kimblee’s hand gripped his shoulder tightly, painfully so, and there were two muffled pops. Roy felt himself being sucker punched in the side in quick succession. Two gunshots.

He gasped, eyes flying open as his knees buckled. His legs jerked out to the side from the force of the hits and on instinct, Roy reached out as he fell, but Kimblee’s arm fell through his hand. He collapsed onto the floor as pain blossomed through his torso. His body hit the ground hard, his head bouncing off the tile. A groan left him, rounded off with another gasp of pain. His breathing was erratic as panic consumed every fibre of his being. To his own ears, Roy’s breaths sounded awful, choked and loud.

He couldn’t see. He couldn’t think. There was another gunshot, much louder this time, and there was shouting, there was screaming, but it all faded out into white noise as pain enveloped Roy completely. He’d been shot, twice, in the side. Kimblee walked right up to him and shot him at point blank range.

Roy gasped as his body convulsed. His shoulders were trying to round in on themselves to protect his body as he lay on the cold floor, but any movement made more pain explode all over his abdomen. He could feel the warmth of his blood around him, which he thought was odd at first, till he saw the red. He rolled on the floor, groaning weakly as he begged the world to give him a reprieve from this pain. He still felt like he couldn’t breathe. Roy was choking on everything, tasting the iron from his blood on his tongue.

“Roy!” The shout broke through everything as his mind shut down, unable to focus on much else as his body reacted to having two bullets forced into it.

Roy’s eyes were unfocussed as his head rolled uncontrollably to try and see who was calling to him. Maes’ face appeared over his, his expression full of worry. He felt Mae's roll him on his back, weight being pressed on his side. He turned his head to shout something to someone, but Roy lost track of his friend’s features. His face melted back into the grey of his vision.

He was losing it. His limbs were relaxing and his body was slowing in its shaking. His legs slid out on the floor and had stopped twitching so much. His arms were becoming heavy by his sides as the grey colour at the edges of his vision was replaced with black. All Roy could see in his mind’s eye was Riza’s face.

He’d broken his promise to her. He’d failed her. The pain had numbed his body, but he still felt that failure settle heavily inside his chest. His heart hurt and he whimpered. He wanted to see her again… Wanted to lose himself in those whiskey eyes that he adored so much. He wanted to kiss her and love her like she deserved… Roy had realised in her bathroom that morning that he loved her. He should've told her. Should have said something. Now, he was going to die, after such an incredible morning he’d had with her? Life truly was cruel.

“Hold on, Roy,” a disembodied voice called to him. There was a hard pressure on his side. He felt his body move as the force increased, but his mind felt detached from it all. He no longer felt pain, just a numbing sensation all over his body.

Roy wanted to hold on. He’d meant it when he told Riza he would, just for her, but it was becoming too hard. His lids were begging to close, pleading for him to give in. If he closed his eyes, he was sure he’d see Riza more clearly… ‘one last hurrah’ echoed inside his mind. How naïve he’d been back then. He didn’t want one last hurrah. He wanted to get up and go to her, just like he’d vowed he would.

But instead, everything just went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no... 👀


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The End

Roy wasn’t fully awake when he felt something poking at his cheek. His mouth twitched upwards at the contact and there was a muffled gasp, but he couldn’t quite open his eyes just yet. A weak groan left his throat, and he tried to move his head away from whatever was irritating him, but he couldn’t go far. He didn’t manage more than a slight twitch.

“Oh my God,” someone breathed. “He moved!”

“Let him rest,” someone else admonished. 

“I just wanted to know if he could feel his face,” the first voice argued petulantly.

“Shut up! Leave his face alone!”

Roy’s eyes blinked open but they were completely unfocused. Everything was just a blurry blob. There were shapes and colours blended together, but nothing concrete. His eyes drooped closed, not ready to awaken. With a groan, he tried to roll over, away from the voices, but his body wouldn't move. They were too loud. He was so tired. He wanted to sleep. It was tugging at him, trying to convince him to ignore whoever was trying to annoy him, and Roy sighed heavily. His body relaxed and he felt himself drifting.

“Come on, Roy,” a man’s voice beckoned cheerily. He recognized it, but couldn’t put a name to it. “It didn’t take me this long to wake up after mine,” he joked.

“You weren’t shot twice,” a female voice replied dryly.

“You always have to put me down, don’t you?” he sighed.

“Of course, Honey,” the woman replied sweetly.

“We should call you Sleeping Beauty,” the man snickered. “You were always desperate for a napping room at the office.”

“Wha…” Roy’s eyes batted open groggily. His mouth felt stiff as he tried to form a word, but it was a struggle. Every movement was sluggish, not that there were many. His head could only turn a tiny degree left and right, and all he could do was make his fingers and his toes twitch.

“There he is!” Jean grinned.

Roy moved his eyes to his right, blinking a few times to allow Jean Havoc to come into view. “Jean,” he breathed, but failed to finish the end of his partner’s name. It trailed off as his throat cramped. His eyes fluttered closed once more.

“Are you really going to leave us hanging with a greeting like that?” Jean jested. “Come on, Roy, you can do better!”

“Tired,” he mumbled. God, his throat hurt. It was scratchy and kept cramping. He needed it to relax. He needed a drink of water.

“Shut up, Jean,” the woman from before barked. There was a muffled sound of someone hitting fabric with their hands, while Jean protested loudly, sounding pained. “Get out of the way,” she scolded. “Roy?” Her call was soft and welcoming.

His eyes batted open, seeing… Rebecca in his line of vision. 

“Hey,” she smiled broadly. “You’re awake! Thank God,” she laughed in relief, her eyes bright and shining in the harsh lights above him. They made Roy squint and close his eyes against them.

“I’m… awake,” he sighed heavily. His eyes stayed closed. The lights of the room were too bright.

“How do you feel?”

“Thirsty,” he croaked.

“Okay, here.” Something cool and hard was pressed to his lips. Opening his mouth, Roy welcomed the sip of water that soothed his aching throat. Some of it dribbled down his chin and onto his chest, but a soft towel was quickly in place to wipe it away. No one commented on it either.

“How are you feeling now?” Rebecca asked.

“Sore,” he groaned. When he’d first awoke his body was entirely numb. Now, as more time was progressing, there was an uncomfortable pressure on his side and a sharp bite of pain every time he inhaled. “Tired.”

“It’s good to have you back,” Rebecca replied. “We’re all here, and we’ll wait until you feel a bit better before talking again, if you want?”

“All?” he asked blearily, his eyes opening.

He watched as Rebecca nodded. To his right, he managed to make out Jean, Rebecca, and Ed, all with relieved smiles on their faces. “We’ll wait for you to feel better, then -”

“Riza?” he croaked as his eyes fought to remain open. “Maes?”

The room was silent, but Roy only realized it after a few moments had passed. His eyes opened and he looked up at Rebecca.

“They... okay?”

“Maes is fine, I promise.”

“And?”

Rebecca wasn’t looking at him, though. Her head had turned to the side, looking away. She jerked her head towards him, then she moved away from his side.

“Becca,” he groaned. He needed to know if Riza was alright. His head turned to his left, beginning his search to see if ‘all’ of them included her.

He didn’t have to look far. Riza was frozen in the doorway. She was apart from the rest of them, clutching the strap of her purse tightly. If she gripped any harder, the strap may be torn in half. She blinked at him. The room wasn’t large, and his vision was still a little foggy after waking up, but he noticed she looked like she was going to cry.

A calm washed over his body and he felt his limbs relaxing further into the bed. She was okay. She was safe. A sliver of relief was snaking through his heart and settling there.

“Hey,” he greeted weakly. 

Riza walked over to him. She’d taken a deep breath before moving, and let it out as she moved. She paused at his bedside, looking slightly unsure of herself, but extremely worried as her eyes danced over his body inside the bed. “Are you okay?” she breathed. He could barely hear her.

“I’m awake,” he offered, unable to croak out a reply any louder than a whisper. All he knew was the numbness was present, but slowly lessening. He could sleep for a week with how relaxed his body felt at that moment. Everyone was safe and accounted for.

She met his gaze sharply. Relief washed over her expression. Mindful of all the wires on his bed, and his injured body, she placed her hands on the mattress and leaned down, brushing her lips against his. It wasn’t too deep, just a light peck, but Roy groaned into it. He wanted more, needed more, especially as emotions burst from his chest so quickly, it left him reeling. He wanted to cup her cheek, but all his arms could manage were a tiny shift by his sides.

As she pulled away, Roy saw that her eyes were shining. Her beautiful face blocked out the harsh lights from above, allowing him to look upon her features for longer. He was thankful for that.

“Everyone has gone,” she whispered.

Glancing to his right, Roy saw that the room was indeed empty.

“How long?” He still couldn’t speak much, but she understood what he meant.

“You’ve been unconscious for two days,” she revealed. Pulling away further, Riza sat on the chair by his bedside. He whined when she did so, but he didn’t care that she heard him. Her hand lifted back onto the bed, grasping his hand tightly. He felt the pressure there, but could only make his fingers twitch in response. He wanted to return the gesture, but his body wouldn’t let him. “Do you remember what happened?”

“Shot,” he replied slowly, trying to recall what had happened to him. He grimaced. This was a less than ideal situation to be in. “Did… Kimblee…?”

“He shot you,” she swallowed. “But I don’t know much about that side of things,” Riza revealed. “I don’t know what happened to him. I’ll let the others go into that with you.”

Roy nodded. It was a tiny movement, but he understood. Slowly, his fingers moved further, shakily gripping her hand. He grunted with the effort, finally giving Riza's hand a slight squeeze.

“I… I heard it on the news.” She bit her lip and inhaled deeply. “There was a shooting at the Senate. They mentioned you by name,” she whispered. Roy watched as she told him what had happened. “I called Rebecca and she told me you were already in surgery here.”

He wanted to ask her proper questions, form full sentences, but he couldn’t. Roy wanted to squeeze and hold her body close in a hug, as he apologized for breaking his promise to her. But he couldn’t.

“Two days.”

Riza nodded, lifting her eyes to meet his. “Yes.”

“Sorry.”

This time, she frowned. “What for?”

“Broke promise,” he croaked. 

Standing from her chair, Riza perched on the edge of his bed. She placed a hand by his hip and leaned forward, stopping with her face about a foot from his. A smile crossed her face as she lifted her fingers to brush his fringe off his face. “You didn’t break it,” she assured him gently.

“Did,” he pouted. 

Riza shook her head, closing her eyes briefly. “You didn’t.” Her tone was firm, her smile fond. “You’re back, aren’t you?”

Roy huffed at his inability to argue further. He did break that promise, and he’d been unconscious for two days. She’d seen what had happened pop up on the news. She’d said she cared about him that morning in her apartment, so Roy had caused her two days worth of worry, wondering if he was going to wake up.

“You didn’t break anything,” she promised. Riza leaned forward, pressing a kiss to his forehead. Roy whined again. If he wasn’t so out of it he would have been embarrassed. “You came back, and that’s all that matters.” Lightly, her forehead grazed against his and she remained there. Roy watched as her face became slightly pained while her eyes closed, but then relaxed as she exhaled. “I was worried about you regardless of what was said,” she whispered. “After you walked out of my door. I had so much I wanted to say, but… I felt it was too soon.”

“What?” he croaked. Anticipation was creeping over his chest. It lifted the hairs on his forearms.

Riza hummed. “Well, you already know I care about you. I was worried about you going off on this adventure,” she smirked. “I knew you could handle yourself. Still, I worried. Of course, I did.” She took a deep breath. “Because I love you.”

Roy blinked at her. It felt like an eternity passed, because… she  _ loved _ him? No… Then Roy looked into her eyes, seeing her patiently waiting for him to digest what she’d said. There was a hint of uncertainty there too, as she anticipated his reply. The soft touches, the kiss she’d given him almost as soon as she saw him, and the last kiss they’d shared… They all hit him at once. 

“Love you too,” he breathed, forcing it out from his tired throat.

Her shoulders sagged slightly and her hand lifted to cup his cheek. The tips of her fingers brushed his ear and Roy’s body would have jerked if it could move properly. He moaned as she pressed her lips against his, harder this time. Her mouth opened and Roy automatically followed suit. His hands were dying to move, to touch her, but he could do nothing. Next time, he vowed. He’d told her he would show her just how much she meant to him. As soon as he was out of this bed, he would.

* * *

“Kimblee went to prison. Hard to escape that one when a Senator confirms that he openly tried to kill you and him,” Jean snorted.

“So he did target me too, then?” Roy asked. Dread settled inside his gut, knowing that a hitman had been after him.

Jean nodded. “What did I tell you all about them killing you for knowing things you shouldn’t?” he joked. Then, he swallowed and his smile fell, his face turning troubled. “Bradley knew it was you who had stolen the sword and had begun to wonder if you were poking your nose too far into where it wasn’t supposed to. So, he told Kimblee to take you out as a precaution as well.”

“Wow,” Roy commented. The lack of concern for human life was alarming. “And Bradley?”

“Arrested too. Same with Raven. Our little report exposed them all for the frauds and shady bastards that they are,” Jean grinned, proud of all their work.

Roy leaned back against his pillows, feeling a sense of accomplishment wash over him. They’d done it. They’d managed to put a stop to their plan.

“Marcoh?”

“Alive and well. Sends his regards, by the way,” Jean added. “He was really shaken up about witnessing you being shot.”

“Tell me about it,” Roy muttered. 

“He said he will publicly denounce the plans put in place by Raven and Bradley, and the land will be turned over to find a new benefactor. They were built on some dodgy deals, and he wasn’t happy about that. The people of this country wouldn’t be either.”

“Have you been back to the office?” Roy asked.

“A few times. Not full time though,” he added, waggling his arm that was still in a sling. “I can’t write very much and typing takes an age. Rebecca and Ed are doing a hell of a job keeping the place running, though,” Jean replied. “Especially Ed. He’s stepped right up and I’ve got to say… I’m impressed.”

“We always knew he’d go far,” Roy reminded him.

“I know. Still, it’s good to see. He’s a natural when his efforts are applied in the right direction.” Jean snickered. “You could be fighting for your job when you finally go back.”

Roy huffed and looked down at his legs, but grimaced as pain shot through his side at the sudden exhale. “I don’t know how soon that will be. It still hurts like a bitch to move.”

“Take it easy, man,” Jean soothed. “We’ll manage without our fearless leader for now,” he winked. “How’s Riza?”

Roy missed her terribly. He hadn’t seen her in two days because she was working late. After Bradley’s arrest, she’d been ordered to collate all accounts that showed anything suspicious. A week on from the incident, and she was still working on it. He felt guilty for increasing her workload, but she’d just waved him off and told him not to worry so much. “She’s busy, but she seems to be alright.”

“Good. At least you’ll have someone to look after you once you get out of here,” he smirked.

“I don’t know about that,” Roy chuckled with uncertainty. It had never come up.

“Oh, come one,” he prompted. “You both love each other, what more is there to think about?”

“The fact that it's only been a couple of months?” Roy offered with a laugh. “All of our dates have been centered around my work, and I will not rest until I show her a date that doesn’t.” His tone was firm, promising to himself in this mind that he would show Riza that there was more to him than his work.

“At least you know she’ll put up with your shit, then,” Jean responded. “That can be hard to find in our line of work.”

“Yeah, you're right about that,” he mumbled.

Jean sighed, standing from his chair. “I’ve got to go. Lunch break is almost over and my boss is a hardass if I’m late,” he winked with a laugh. “It’s good to see you, Roy. Take care of yourself, alright?”

“You too, Jean,” he called as he left his hospital room with a small wave.

Roy settled back into his pillows. Boredom was a constant companion nowadays as he waited for the days to pass. He willed his side to get better so he could start with harder physical therapy and get back out into the world quicker. He grumped. Most of all, he wanted to see Riza. 

Speaking of, his phone buzzed on the side of his bed. Picking it up, he opened the screen to see Riza’s name pop up with a text message for him. She was on her way in, and would he like any lunch brought in for him? Grinning, he texted her back that a pastry from the old haunt would be lovely. Excitement coursed through his body as he waited for her to arrive. It’d only been two days since he last saw her but it had been too long and he couldn’t wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there you are. No, we didn't kill Roy. Who would want to ever do that? Plus, we needed just one more Royai scene. 
> 
> Well.... thank you to our readers. Our little adventure is over. Emma and I are pretty sad about it too. But we have enjoyed every second of it, and we hope that you have too! Don't forget to comment! We love hearing from you! 
> 
> Much Love and until next time, stay safe!   
> -Stacy & Emma


End file.
